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AI Scare Back in the Market: ETFs That Stayed Steady
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Key Takeaways
AI disruption fears sparked a broad selloff led by IBM and payment, delivery and software stocks.
Energy and tanker shipping ETFs rose on oil strength and higher freight rates.
Biotech strength and a bear ETF offered shelter as Wall Street turned volatile.
Concerns about the disruptive impact of artificial intelligence resurfaced on Feb. 23, 2026, triggering a selloff in delivery, payments and software stocks. The wave of anxiety pushed International Business Machines (IBM - Free Report) to its steepest decline in 25 years, per Bloomberg, as quoted on Yahoo Finance. IBM shares slid 13.2% on Feb. 23, 2026.
SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF Trust (DIA - Free Report) lost about 1.6% on the day, State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY - Free Report) retreated 1% and Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1 (QQQ) slumped more than 1.2%.
The market reaction followed a bearish report released over the weekend by research firm Citrini Research, which highlighted potential risks AI could pose to several industries. Adding to investor unease, AI startup Anthropic said in a blog post on Feb. 23, 2026 that its Claude Code tool can modernize COBOL, a legacy programming language widely used on IBM systems. No wonder, IBM shares were badly hit.
The developments triggered a sharp selloff across several companies. Other firms also suffered losses. DoorDash, American Express, KKR, and Blackstone each dropped at least 6%. Shares of Uber, Mastercard, Visa, Capital One, and Apollo Global Management also fell sharply.
Report Sparks Concerns About Software Stocks
Risk analyst Nassim Nicholas Taleb cautioned that markets may be underestimating structural risks tied to the AI boom and warned that the software sector could face rising volatility and even bankruptcies, as quoted in the above-mentioned source.
Meanwhile, one scenario suggested by Citrini Research was that dominant delivery services could be challenged by cheaper “vibe-coded” alternatives built using AI.
The report also imagined a future where AI agents help consumers avoid transaction fees charged by payment processors such as Mastercard and Visa, per Bloomberg, as quoted on Yahoo Finance.
ETFs That Stayed Steady
Against this backdrop, below we highlight a few winning exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that won on Feb. 23, 2026.
OIH gained 0.8% on Feb. 23, 2026 and rose 2.8% over the past week. There has been a rally in oil prices lately due to U.S.–Iran tensions. As a result, the energy sector has remained resilient.
The fund offers exposure to crude oil tanker shipping. Global shipping stocks rose due to increased freight rates caused by ongoing disruptions in major trade routes – particularly the Red Sea – which force vessels to take longer journeys. BWET jumped 6% on Feb. 23, 2026.
Medical – iShares Genomics Immunology and Healthcare ETF (IDNA - Free Report)
Biotechnology stocks have been in great shape in 2026. Positive clinical trial data, improving valuations and supportive macro conditions have boosted the sector. Since IDNA holds many biotech and life-science companies, the sector rebound has benefitted the fund considerably. The ETF IDNA was up 2.7% on Monday and is up 16% this year.
The AdvisorShares Ranger Equity Bear ETF seeks capital appreciation through short sales of domestically traded equity securities. With Wall Street sliding on Feb. 23, 2026, ETFs offering inverse exposure had reason to gain. HDGE was up 2.39% on Feb. 23, 2026.
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AI Scare Back in the Market: ETFs That Stayed Steady
Key Takeaways
Concerns about the disruptive impact of artificial intelligence resurfaced on Feb. 23, 2026, triggering a selloff in delivery, payments and software stocks. The wave of anxiety pushed International Business Machines (IBM - Free Report) to its steepest decline in 25 years, per Bloomberg, as quoted on Yahoo Finance. IBM shares slid 13.2% on Feb. 23, 2026.
SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF Trust (DIA - Free Report) lost about 1.6% on the day, State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY - Free Report) retreated 1% and Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1 (QQQ) slumped more than 1.2%.
The market reaction followed a bearish report released over the weekend by research firm Citrini Research, which highlighted potential risks AI could pose to several industries. Adding to investor unease, AI startup Anthropic said in a blog post on Feb. 23, 2026 that its Claude Code tool can modernize COBOL, a legacy programming language widely used on IBM systems. No wonder, IBM shares were badly hit.
The developments triggered a sharp selloff across several companies. Other firms also suffered losses. DoorDash, American Express, KKR, and Blackstone each dropped at least 6%. Shares of Uber, Mastercard, Visa, Capital One, and Apollo Global Management also fell sharply.
Report Sparks Concerns About Software Stocks
Risk analyst Nassim Nicholas Taleb cautioned that markets may be underestimating structural risks tied to the AI boom and warned that the software sector could face rising volatility and even bankruptcies, as quoted in the above-mentioned source.
Meanwhile, one scenario suggested by Citrini Research was that dominant delivery services could be challenged by cheaper “vibe-coded” alternatives built using AI.
The report also imagined a future where AI agents help consumers avoid transaction fees charged by payment processors such as Mastercard and Visa, per Bloomberg, as quoted on Yahoo Finance.
ETFs That Stayed Steady
Against this backdrop, below we highlight a few winning exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that won on Feb. 23, 2026.
Energy – VanEck Oil Services ETF (OIH - Free Report)
OIH gained 0.8% on Feb. 23, 2026 and rose 2.8% over the past week. There has been a rally in oil prices lately due to U.S.–Iran tensions. As a result, the energy sector has remained resilient.
Shipping – Breakwave Tanker Shipping ETF (BWET - Free Report)
The fund offers exposure to crude oil tanker shipping. Global shipping stocks rose due to increased freight rates caused by ongoing disruptions in major trade routes – particularly the Red Sea – which force vessels to take longer journeys. BWET jumped 6% on Feb. 23, 2026.
Medical – iShares Genomics Immunology and Healthcare ETF (IDNA - Free Report)
Biotechnology stocks have been in great shape in 2026. Positive clinical trial data, improving valuations and supportive macro conditions have boosted the sector. Since IDNA holds many biotech and life-science companies, the sector rebound has benefitted the fund considerably. The ETF IDNA was up 2.7% on Monday and is up 16% this year.
Bear Market – AdvisorShares Ranger Equity Bear ETF (HDGE - Free Report)
The AdvisorShares Ranger Equity Bear ETF seeks capital appreciation through short sales of domestically traded equity securities. With Wall Street sliding on Feb. 23, 2026, ETFs offering inverse exposure had reason to gain. HDGE was up 2.39% on Feb. 23, 2026.