From Record Highs to a Two-Week Low: Why Did AI Concept Stocks Suddenly Pull Back?
From Record Highs to Two-Week Lows: Why Did AI Stocks Suddenly Pull Back?
U.S. stock indices, led by the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100, fell sharply to two-week lows. This marked a reversal from earlier in the week when AI infrastructure and semiconductor stocks had propelled major indices to record highs. Investors are rotating out of these previously high-flying tech sectors into other areas. The sell-off was driven by profit-taking and concerns that the AI rally had become overextended, exacerbated by chipmaker Broadcom's sales outlook falling short of lofty market expectations.
The decline accelerated following a stronger-than-expected U.S. May nonfarm payrolls report, which showed 172,000 jobs added versus an estimated 88,000. This data sparked a jump in bond yields, with the 10-year Treasury yield rising to 4.553%, as it reinforced market speculation that the Federal Reserve's next move could be a rate hike rather than a cut.
Globally, equities also declined, with European and Asian markets falling. Within the U.S. market, chip and AI-related stocks like Super Micro Computer and Arm Holdings led the losses, dropping over 7%. Cryptocurrency-linked stocks and mining shares also fell sharply amid drops in Bitcoin and commodity prices.
While the overall Q1 earnings season remained solid, with 83% of S&P 500 companies beating estimates, the weakness was concentrated in tech. Excluding the tech sector, Q1 earnings growth was around 3%, the weakest in two years.
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