The Rundown – Inflation Cools to 2.4%, Anthropic Hits $380 Billion Valuation

Date: February 13, 2026
Host: Zaid Admani
Duration: ~10 minutes
Produced by: Public.com

Episode Overview

In this episode, Zaid Admani delivers a fast-paced update on major market moves and tech industry news. Key highlights include a surprising CPI report and continued stock volatility, deep dives into company earnings (Airbnb, Rivian, DraftKings), Anthropic’s explosive valuation, and a quirky AI fail involving Waymo and DoorDash drivers. Listeners get actionable insights into market sentiment and company trajectories—all in under 10 minutes.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Market Volatility Driven by AI Disruption

• Thursday Recap: Both the S&P 500 (-1.6%) and NASDAQ (-2%) saw sharp declines, with tech leading the sell-off.
• Cause: Growing investor anxiety about AI's capacity to disrupt traditional industries.
  • Recent hit sectors: Software, insurance brokers, wealth managers, and (most recently) transportation/logistics.
• Example: A Florida-based AI company claims its platform can boost freight volume 300–400% with no headcount increase, which tanked trucking stocks and sent the Dow Jones Transportation Average down 4% (worst day since last April).

Notable Quote:

"Investors are dumping any stock that even smells like it could be disrupted by AI, which is leading to more volatility."
– Zaid Admani [01:46]

• Market statistic: From Michael Batnick’s chart: Over the last 8 sessions, "115 stocks in the S&P 500 have dropped at least 7% in a single day..."—only seen before during bear markets, despite indexes being close to all-time highs.

2. Inflation Data Surprises to the Downside

• Headline Inflation:
  • January CPI rose 2.4% year-over-year (down from 2.7% in December; below expected 2.5%).
  • Still above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target, but evidence of ongoing cooling.

Notable Quote:

"So inflation continues to cool, which is good news, but it’s still above the Fed’s 2% target."
– Zaid Admani [03:26]

3. Company Earnings Recap

a. Airbnb: Mixed Results, Betting on Long-term Growth

• Q4 Revenue: $2.8B (+12%), Gross booking value: $20.4B (+16%), both beating estimates.
• Profit Miss: $341M profit ($0.56/share), down from $461M prior year and below analyst estimates ($0.67/share).
  • Hit from a $90M charge; expenses up 22% from investments in growth.
• Strategic Moves:
  • Investing in "experiences," boutique hotels, flexible payments, airport pickup, Instacart partnerships, and AI for better search/support.
• Market Reaction:
  • Stock up 5% in early trading.
• Personal Take:
  • “I haven’t stayed at an Airbnb in like five years. I’m a full-on hotel guy at this point, but I guess people are still using Airbnb.” [05:15]

b. Anthropic: AI Valuations Exploding

• New Funding: $30B raise sets valuation at $380B—doubling in five months.
• Revenue Growth:
  • Annualized revenue now $14B (from $10B at end of last year).
  • Claude Code’s coding tool generating $2.5B annualized.
  • 80% of business is enterprise-focused—a key differentiator from OpenAI.
• Significance:
  • Rapid tool launches by Anthropic cited as a primary reason for broader software stock sell-offs.
  • OpenAI also seeking new investment at a $750B valuation.
  • "Keep in mind these AI companies still aren’t profitable yet...It’s going to be very interesting..." [07:01]

c. Rivian: EV Momentum

• Earnings Beat:
  • Announces 2026 delivery guidance: 62,000–67,000 vehicles (up 59% from last year’s 42,000).
  • Launching R2 SUV ($45,000+) in Q2; expected to drive growth.
  • Anticipates $2B loss in 2026 due to ramp-up, but investors focus on scaling potential.
• Market Reaction:
  • Stock up 20% at time of recording.

d. DraftKings: Underperforms, Faces New Competition

• Revenue: Q4 $1.99B (+43%), but missed expectations.
  • Monthly unique players: 4.8M vs. expected 5.4M.
• 2026 Guidance: $6.5–6.9B revenue projected; well below Wall Street’s $7.3B.
• Investor Worry:
  • Losing business to prediction-market upstarts (Kalshi & Polymarket).
  • DraftKings’ own prediction market launch has “not gotten much traction.”
• Market Reaction: Shares down 15% on weak outlook.

4. Fun Story: Waymo Pays DoorDash Drivers to Shut Car Doors

• Issue: Waymo’s $150,000 self-driving cars don’t have auto-closing doors, so when passengers leave doors open, the car is immobilized.
• Workaround: Waymo pages nearby DoorDash drivers to close doors—pays $11–24 per event.
• Metaphor:
  • “The technology is incredible in some ways, but then still can’t handle like the basics.” [09:20]
  • Raises the question if people might “just start following these Waymos around all day hoping to get paid 10 to 15 bucks...” [09:27]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On AI Sell-Offs:

  “Investors are dumping any stock that even smells like it could be disrupted by AI.” [01:46]

• On Unusual Market Carnage:

  “Historically that kind of carnage only happens during a bear market. But right now, the S&P isn’t in a bear…” [02:45]

• Inflation Relief:

  “Inflation continues to cool, which is good news, but it’s still above the Fed’s 2% target.” [03:26]

• On Anthropic’s Business Model:

  “About 80% of Anthropic’s business is from the enterprise and not consumer, which is a better business to be in and a key differentiator from their rival OpenAI.” [06:43]

• Waymo Quirk:

  “Waymo, the self-driving car company owned by Google, is paying DoorDash delivery drivers to close its car doors. This is such a hilarious story.” [08:44]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Market Volatility & AI Disruption: 00:20–03:15
• CPI/Inflation Data Breakdown: 03:15–03:45
• Upcoming Weekend Specials Preview: 03:50–04:20
• Company Earnings:
  • Airbnb: 04:28–05:40
  • Anthropic: 05:40–07:22
  • Rivian: 07:23–08:04
  • DraftKings: 08:05–08:44
• Waymo’s Car Door Story: 08:44–09:36

Tone & Style

• Direct, conversational, and approachable—even as topics range from macroeconomics to quirky tech limitations.
• Zaid Admani peppers personal opinions and offhand remarks (“I haven’t stayed at an Airbnb in like five years...”), keeping the mood engaging and relatable.

Summary Takeaways

• Stock markets are highly volatile, especially in sectors threatened by new AI applications.
• Inflation is cooling but remains above the Fed’s comfort zone—providing some market relief.
• High-growth AI companies like Anthropic and OpenAI continue to draw huge valuations despite lack of profits.
• Traditional companies (Airbnb, Rivian, DraftKings) face mixed fortunes; growth bets are clear winner for now.
• Even high-tech triumphs like Waymo reveal hilarious, sometimes humbling limitations.
• Upcoming podcast content offers in-depth dives into trending themes: the software stock collapse and insights from Affirm’s CEO.