Ep156: Policy Relief Into the Weekend — February 20th, 2026

Tonight on The Gentle Ledger, we trace a quietly relieved Friday on Wall Street—stocks drifting higher after a major Supreme Court tariff ruling, even as softer growth and warmer inflation kept the mood slightly cautious. We’ll walk through the closing levels, the day’s most notable winners and bruises, and the way Europe’s record-high STOXX 600 and a mixed Asia session echoed the same theme: steadier, but not exactly carefree. Then we’ll exhale into gold, oil, Treasury yields, and a modestly firmer crypto tape—before a gentle, grounded goodnight.