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Nasdaq 100 Falls 1.5% as AI Trade Shows New Cracks: Markets Wrap

(Bloomberg) — A global rally in technology shares faltered as disappointing earnings from two industry heavyweights revived doubts over whether billions of dollars in artificial-intelligence spending will deliver sufficient returns.

The Nasdaq 100 fell about 1.5%. Google’s parent Alphabet Inc. sank a record 12% on a sales miss. Samsung Electronics Co. boosted AI spending, but failed to outline plans to share ballooning profits. Microsoft Corp. is looking to raise at least $25 billion from a US investment-grade bond sale. Amazon.com Inc. and Intel Corp. will report results after the closing bell.

“The sorting has begun, as tech companies are now solely being judged on their AI spending, which is bound to create winners and losers. We are now getting to see who is spending rationally on AI and who is not,” said Richard Reyle at Questar Capital Partners.

Losses in technology shares revived the haven appeal of bonds, which also rose amid a drop in oil prices.

Just a day after the Federal Reserve left rates steady, data showed the US economy expanded in the third quarter at the fastest pace in a year. Meanwhile, the personal consumption expenditures price index — the Fed’s preferred inflation measure — rose 0.5% in September, the most in six months.

The European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde played down the danger that inflation will spread beyond energy after news that she’ll step down early overshadowed a decision to leave rates untouched.

Corporate Highlights:

ServiceNow Inc. gave an outlook for quarterly subscription sales that met analysts’ estimates, but failed to quell Wall Street’s anxieties that artificial intelligence will disrupt the software maker. Marvell Technology Inc. is in advanced talks to buy data center optics maker Lumentum Holdings Inc., according to people familiar with the matter, putting it on the cusp of a potential megadeal amid the race to scale up in the artificial intelligence sector. DoorDash Inc. agreed to buy rival Instacart in a deal that values the company at about $17 billion, the latest sign of consolidation in an increasingly competitive delivery market where Walmart Inc. and Amazon.com Inc. loom large. Caterpillar Inc. posted earnings that only modestly beat expectations, adding to investor jitters about mounting challenges to the AI infrastructure boom. Mastercard Inc. reported earnings that beat analyst estimates as the company benefited from increased spending from US consumers. Eli Lilly & Co. raised its full-year sales forecast as demand for its blockbuster obesity and diabetes drugs continues to surge. Some of the main moves in markets:

Stocks

The S&P 500 fell 0.4% as of 11 a.m. New York time The Nasdaq 100 fell 1.5% The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.3% The Stoxx Europe 600 rose 0.8% The MSCI World Index fell 0.1% Currencies

The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index was little changed The euro was little changed at $1.1161 The British pound rose 0.2% to $1.3356 The Japanese yen was unchanged at 157.84 per dollar Cryptocurrencies

Bitcoin fell 0.2% to $81,085.23 Ether fell 0.7% to $2,342.15 Bonds

The yield on 10-year Treasuries declined five basis points to 4.97% Germany’s 10-year yield declined three basis points to 3.34% Britain’s 10-year yield declined five basis points to 5.27% Commodities

West Texas Intermediate crude fell 2.4% to $100.32 a barrel Spot gold fell 1% to $4,026.86 an ounce –With assistance from Robert Brand.

©2026 Bloomberg L.P.

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