February was a volatile month for stocks, with investor concerns around AI, tariffs, and trade policy. The Dow Jones was the best-performing of the large-cap U.S. markets, while international stocks were the best-performing part of the global market. On the economic side, the picture was mixed. Corporate fundamentals remain solid, but fourth-quarter real GDP slowed from the strong second- and third-quarter reports. Consumer confidence showed a slight improvement in February, while the January employment report was better than expected.
