The latest television ratings for February 2026 show Fox Business Network continuing its long-term streak as the most-watched financial news outlet during the workday. According to new data from Nielsen Media Research, the network outpaced its primary competitor, CNBC, across both the standard business day and critical market trading hours.
The monthly report highlights a tenth consecutive win for Fox Business in the business day time slot, averaging 262,000 total viewers compared to CNBC’s 231,000. During the hours the stock market is actually open, the gap remained steady, with Fox pulling in 259,000 viewers against CNBC’s 237,000.
At the center of this ratings push are the network’s anchor programs, “Varney & Co.” and “Kudlow.” For four years straight, Stuart Varney’s morning show has held the title of the top business program on television.
In February, it averaged 318,000 viewers, which represents a 27% lead over its direct competition. Similarly, Larry Kudlow’s afternoon program maintained its dominant position for the 53rd month in a row, drawing 285,000 viewers and securing a 45% advantage over CNBC’s “Closing Bell.”
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The network’s success wasn’t limited to the market open and close. In the early morning hours, Maria Bartiromo’s “Mornings with Maria” marked nearly a year as the leading pre-market show, averaging 127,000 viewers. Throughout the afternoon, programs like “The Big Money Show” and “The Claman Countdown” kept the network’s momentum going, each drawing over 210,000 viewers.
Even after the markets closed for the day, Fox Business held onto its lead. “The Evening Edit” and “The Bottom Line” both posted double-digit percentage wins over their rivals, “Fast Money” and “Mad Money.” These victories represent two full years of monthly wins for both evening slots.
While CNBC maintained an edge in the younger 25-54 demographic and slightly led in “Total Day” viewership—which accounts for the full 24-hour programming cycle—the February data confirms that Fox Business remains the preferred choice for the bulk of the daytime audience tuning in for financial news.
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