Tech, Media & Telecom Roundup: Market Talk
•February 19, 2026
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Companies Mentioned
Why It Matters
The Nvidia‑Meta deal fuels AI‑hardware demand, nudging crypto and equity markets, while MiniMax’s outlook signals Asia’s expanding foundation‑model race and StarHub’s slowdown highlights telecom revenue challenges in a saturated market.
Key Takeaways
- •Nvidia to supply Meta with processors, boosting tech stocks
- •Bitcoin up 1.4% on Nvidia-Meta news
- •MiniMax targets profitability by 2030, Jefferies initiates coverage
- •StarHub EBITDA expected to fall 20% in 2026
- •DBS cuts StarHub target price to S$0.94
Pulse Analysis
The announcement that Nvidia will provide Meta with a steady stream of processors underscores a deepening partnership between two AI powerhouses. This supply pact not only validates the growing appetite for high‑performance compute in social media platforms but also reverberates through related markets, lifting semiconductor equities and even nudging Bitcoin higher as investors link crypto’s energy narrative to AI hardware demand. Analysts see this as a catalyst that could accelerate the broader AI‑driven rally across U.S. equities.
Meanwhile, Chinese AI startup MiniMax is emerging as a notable contender in the global foundation‑model arena. Jefferies’ coverage emphasizes the company’s architecture innovations and cost‑efficient inference, positioning it to achieve profitability by 2030 despite lingering export‑control concerns. The firm’s aggressive pricing and reduced compute costs could pressure rivals while expanding the pool of affordable AI services in Asia. Investors are watching MiniMax’s trajectory as a barometer for the scalability of early‑stage AI ventures and the broader shift toward monetizing large‑language models.
In the telecom sector, StarHub’s projected 20% EBITDA decline in 2026 signals mounting pressure on traditional revenue streams. DBS Group Research attributes the dip to weaker consumer‑business demand and rising enterprise operating expenses, forecasting a turnaround only by 2027 when new enterprise‑linked investments mature. The downgrade to fully valued and the target price reduction to S$0.94 reflect heightened skepticism about short‑term growth, prompting stakeholders to reassess capital allocation in a market where saturation and competition demand innovative service diversification.
Tech, Media & Telecom Roundup: Market Talk
The latest Market Talks covering Technology, Media and Telecom. Published exclusively on Dow Jones Newswires at 4:20 ET, 12:20 ET and 16:50 ET.
0754 GMT – Bitcoin rises modestly after gains in U.S. equities overnight as tech stocks regained their footing. “Part of the catalyst for the rally were pre‑U.S. market reports that Nvidia had agreed to supply Meta with large quantities of processors over the coming years,” Deutsche Bank analysts say in a note. The news boosted tech and semiconductor stocks. The equity rally was reinforced by solid U.S. economic data with industrial production and factory output both exceeding expectations, the analysts say. Next up, U.S. weekly jobless claims data at 1330 GMT will be closely watched given their overlap with the February employment survey period, they say. Bitcoin rises 1.4 % to $67,202, LSEG data show. Ether is up 2.1 % at $1,981.
0722 GMT – MiniMax’s outlook is promising thanks to its “strong model performance” and cost‑effective approach, according to Jefferies analysts in a research note. “Efficiencies come from architecture innovations, inference improvements, engineering optimizations and reduction in the cost of compute,” they say. The Chinese AI startup is likely to achieve profitability in 2030, Jefferies says. However, risks include a slower pace of innovation, AI products not being well‑received, and geopolitical tensions on export controls, the analysts add. Jefferies initiates coverage with a buy and target price of HK$1,118.00, citing its “strong growth outlook in an early‑stage global foundation model market.” Shares last traded at HK$847.00.
0712 GMT – StarHub is likely to only return to growth in 2027, says DBS Group Research’s Sachin Mittal in commentary. The Singapore telecommunications operator’s EBITDA is likely to decline around 20 % in 2026 amid lower consumer‑business revenue and higher enterprise‑related operating expenses, the analyst says. He expects StarHub’s enterprise‑linked investments to boost its order book in 2026 and eventually lead to higher revenue growth from 2027. The analyst estimates around a 7 % gain in EBITDA in 2027. DBS lowers its rating on StarHub to fully valued from hold based on the bank’s estimated valuation, and cuts its target price to S$0.94 from S$1.19. Shares are flat at S$1.10.
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