CNBC Business News Update - Market Midday: Stocks Mixed, Delta Shares Lower After Accident, CFPB Fights To Survive 2/18/25

Episode Date: February 18, 2025

From Wall Street to Main Street, the latest on the markets and what it means for your money. Updated regularly on weekdays, featuring CNBC expert analysis and sound from top business newsmakers. Anchored by CNBC's Jessica Ettinger.

I'm Jessica Edinger, CNBC. Wall Street mixed this afternoon. The Dow off its earlier lows. It's down 95 points, led lower by shares of UnitedHealth, which are down more than 3% this afternoon. The S&P 500 index, barely in the green. It's up one point. The Nasdaq's now in the red, down 16 points.

Shares of NvidiaVIDIA are higher. They're up a little more than 1%. That's off their earlier highs. Companies whose shares have hit fresh all-time highs today include Goldman Sachs, Tractor Maker Deere, and Palantir. Delta Airlines shares ticking lower this afternoon. Executives, along with Canadian aviation officials, are working to piece together how a Delta jet flipped over after landing in Toronto yesterday.

All passengers survived. You had people who were still buckled into their seats, upside down, inside the fuselage, who were able to get out of the plane. You have to have luck involved for people, not only a few to survive, but all to survive, especially if the aircraft flipped over, then caught on fire. There were 18 injuries. That is a testament to the structure of the aircraft and the fact that the seats now in all airplanes are made to stay attached to the frame of the fuselage much better than they were in the past. CNBC's Phil LeBeau. Separately, 300 FAA, Federal Aviation Administration employees, have been fired by the Trump administration as the U.S. deals with recent commercial jet crashes. And the Trump administration's also slashing thousands of people at the IRS in the middle of tax season. Small business owners feeling worse about the economy

after a pop higher right after the election. The small business index trending lower now at 56. Now the question is why? Well, there was an increase in negativity on a few questions that shaped the index. Several surrounding President Trump's various policy proposals, trade, immigration, expectations for regulation. A quarter cite inflation as the biggest risk to their business currently. Just 36% of business owners say they believe that inflation has reached a peak, while two in three believe prices will continue to rise. CNBC's Brandon Gomez.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a federal watchdog agency that helps American consumers, is targeted for elimination under President Trump. The Trump administration has effectively closed the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau by firing workers and halting the agency's work. Trump has said he wants to eliminate the CFPB because of waste, fraud, and abuse, although no evidence of those allegations has been offered. The law that created the CFPB assigned its specific regulatory responsibilities, including supervising financial firms,

responding to consumer complaints about financial products and services, and enforcing consumer financial protection laws. CNBC's Sharon Epperson. Coca-Cola taking on Olipop and Poppy with a new prebiotic soda brand. They're going to call it Simply Pop. The packaging includes a stylized font from the Simply Juice brand, which Coke owns, hoping to bring in more health-conscious consumers. Simply Pop will be in stores in some parts of the country by the end of the month. Disney's Captain America

Brave New World overcame some iffy reviews to become the first $100 million box office movie of the year over the President's Day four-day holiday at theaters. Jessica Ettinger, CNBC. CNBC has the most affluent audience in television, but money itself doesn't have any meaning. It's how you make it and what you do with it that gives it purpose.