Good morning.

Early investor excitement was evident in markets shortly following a jobs report that showed much more strength than many anticipated … with twice as many jobs coming in than were expected … but soon after someone may have asked the humbling question of “what will that mean for the Fed?” … which quickly let the air out of the party balloons.

This leaves some people wondering if AI will have the effect many fear … as we are seeing some organizations announce layoffs, as they begin to claim added productivity thanks … in large part … to AI.

While I will mention more on our economic growth in a minute, it is not all sprinkles and rainbows … even with the positive jobs number … as Daily Shot claims retail “stalled” in December and wonders if it is due to “consumer fatigue.”

On top of this, mortgage delinquencies are the highest in over a decade, and student loan payments … seen as being in “serious delinquency” … are going through the roof.

But recession is far from the lips of many strategists at present, and while the number came down, Atlanta Fed’s GDP Now model is putting 4th quarter growth at 3.7%.

And what does the White House claim regarding our economic future?  Donald Trump was on television last night, providing the shocking but not surprising view that the economy should grow 15% and a 2% cut in rates would eliminate our deficit entirely.

On a final point, there was a note out this morning on Valentine’s Day spending … as it is time to start planning Cupid’s visit this weekend.

According to Statista the average per-person spending on Valentine’s Day will be $200 with the most popular gift (56%) being candy.

So, if you are loving enough to spend $200 on candy for your partner … I suspect I know what the next survey will show the top purchase next week …

… gym memberships.

Have a great day,

Joseph G. Witthohn, CFA

Have any questions? Please contact info@teamemerald.com

A Look At The News | February 11, 2026   As of 11:32 AM today … A jobs report came in better than expected and investors jumped at the thought that the economy was still holding up rather well (CNN) https://www.cnn.com/2026/02/11/economy/us-jobs-report-january-final   … but one question is how jobs will be affected by AI in the future as some companies are claiming AI is the reason for layoffs – even as productivity improves (CNBC) https://www.cnbc.com/2026/02/11/heineken-slash-6000-jobs-ai-productivity-savings-.html   … and for many who have adopted AI?  Burnout at a quicker pace than for others … which is surprising to those who felt having extra free time would reduce stress (TechCrunch) https://techcrunch.com/2026/02/09/the-first-signs-of-burnout-are-coming-from-the-people-who-embrace-ai-the-most/   Those claiming to be environmentalists will certainly scream when they learn some coal plants, due to be closed, are being activated (APNews) https://apnews.com/article/tennessee-valley-authority-coal-plants-7a3bae83090e802a6036c1dcc37fa0a1   Red light …. green light … one, two, three … is a children’s game but might need to be adjusted somewhat with the inclusion of a white traffic light (SuperCarBlondie) https://supercarblondie.com/white-traffic-lights-tested-studies-recommend-fourth-color/   These will certainly not be allowed in the Olympics, but bionic sneakers might soon be available … for those who are always in a hurry (NPR) https://www.npr.org/2026/02/10/nx-s1-5698195/nike-amplify-bionic-sneakers The statements above are supplied for educational purposes only. The statements depict the viewpoints and opinion of the author and are not necessarily the views of Emerald Asset Management or its affiliates. The information described herein is taken from sources which are believed to be reliable, but the accuracy and completeness of such information is not guaranteed by us. Emerald Asset Management PA, LLC | 717-556-8900 | 3175 Oregon Pike, Leola, PA 17540 Want to change how you receive these emails? You can unsubscribe from this list. ———————————————————————————- The statements above are supplied for educational purposes only. The statements depict the viewpoints and opinion of the author and are not necessarily the views of Emerald Asset Management or its affiliates. The information described herein is taken from sources which are believed to be reliable, but the accuracy and completeness of such information is not guaranteed by us.