First Advantage, Grid Dynamics, Gartner, Korn Ferry, and ePlus Shares Plummet, What You Need To Know

By Anthony Lee | February 23, 2026, 11:51 AM

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What Happened?

A number of stocks fell in the morning session after the Trump administration's announcement of new global tariffs, reignited trade policy uncertainty. The move came swiftly after the Supreme Court ruled the previous week that the president could not use the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) for such duties, a decision that had initially sent markets higher. However, the administration invoked a different authority, the Trade Act of 1974, to impose a 15% global tariff for up to 150 days. The rapid reimposition of trade barriers creates significant uncertainty for companies across multiple sectors that depend on international supply chains and global trade. Investors are now weighing the potential impact of these new duties on corporate earnings and broader economic activity.

The stock market overreacts to news, and big price drops can present good opportunities to buy high-quality stocks.

Among others, the following stocks were impacted:

Zooming In On Grid Dynamics (GDYN)

Grid Dynamics’s shares are very volatile and have had 25 moves greater than 5% over the last year. In that context, today’s move indicates the market considers this news meaningful but not something that would fundamentally change its perception of the business.

The previous big move we wrote about was 20 days ago when the stock dropped 10.1% on the news that disappointing fourth-quarter results from industry bellwether Gartner sparked widespread concerns about a slowdown in the sector. The research and advisory firm reported that revenue in its Consulting segment fell 12.8%. This weak performance from a major industry player appeared to validate broader market fears about the health of the IT services and consulting industry. The negative sentiment spread quickly, with shares of other major companies like Accenture and Intuit also falling sharply. The market now seems concerned about a potential slowdown in the sector's growth rate, compounded by uncertainty over the long-term impact of artificial intelligence on existing business models.

Grid Dynamics is down 27.5% since the beginning of the year, and at $6.41 per share, it is trading 68.5% below its 52-week high of $20.32 from February 2025. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of Grid Dynamics’s shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $409.79.

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