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Tag: Tech Stocks

US Stock Futures Rise Monday as Oil Falls and Tech Bounces Back
Introduction
US stocks may open higher on Monday. Early trading points that way. Oil prices fell. Tech shares bounced back a little. This comes after a rough month for tech.

What Happened
Futures are deals about future prices. They give a hint of how stocks may open. They are not a promise. On Monday morning, Dow futures rose 190 points. That is a rise of 0.4%. They reached 52,108. S&P 500 futures rose 30.25 points. That is also a rise of 0.4%. They reached 7,644.25. Nasdaq futures rose 211.75 points. That is a rise of 0.8%. They reached 28,745.75. The Nasdaq is full of tech firms. So its bigger rise matters. Micron, SanDisk, and Western Digital each rose more than 2% in early trading. Nvidia and Microsoft also rose a little. Marvell rose about 2.9% in early trading. Apple fell a little before its earnings news. Apple will share its earnings after Monday’s close. Earnings means a firm’s money report. Oil fell in early Asian trading. Brent crude fell about 1.6% to about $111.60 a barrel.

Key figures
- Dow futures: up 190 points, or 0.4%, to 52,108
- S&P 500 futures: up 30.25 points, or 0.4%, to 7,644.25
- Nasdaq futures: up 211.75 points, or 0.8%, to 28,745.75
- Micron, SanDisk, Western Digital in early trading: each up more than 2%
- Nasdaq fall last week: about 2%
- S&P 500 and Dow fall last week: each less than 1%
- Nasdaq fall in October: about 5.2%
- Dow rise in October: almost 2%
Why It Happened
October was hard for tech. Investors worried about AI spending. AI firms are spending huge sums. Investors asked when that spending will pay off. That worry pushed tech shares down. Last week, the Nasdaq fell about 2%. The S&P 500 and the Dow each fell less than 1%. In October, the Nasdaq fell about 5.2%. The Dow rose almost 2% in the same month. That shows a shift. Money moved from tech to safer areas, like health care. On Monday, some of that money moved back to tech. Lower oil prices helped too. Lower oil can mean lower costs for firms and for drivers.

Why It Matters
One morning does not end a trend. But it shows a change in mood. Investors are still nervous about AI. They are also still hopeful about AI. Both feelings are in the market now. This week will test that mood. Big earnings are due. Big news on jobs is due. A big vote is due too.

What Happens Next
Apple reports after Monday’s close. McDonald’s and Qualcomm report later in the week. US midterm elections are on Tuesday, November 3. The October jobs report is due on Friday, November 6. A jobs report shows how many jobs were added. It helps people guess what the central bank may do next. Watch all three. They can move stocks fast, up or down.

Final Thoughts
Monday starts with a small bounce. Tech is up a little. Oil is down a little. But the big tests are still ahead. This week will tell us more than one morning can.

Disclaimer: This article is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.
Sources: CNBC, https://www.cnbc.com/2026/11/02/stock-market-today-live-updates.html ; market update, https://www.baystreet.ca/articles/market_updates_us.aspx?articleid%5C%5Cu003d102194 ; CNBC TV18 early Asian market

report via TradingView,

https://www.tradingview.com/news/cnbctv:d3b11974e094b:0/

Related post: https://thefinanceclass.wordpress.com/2026/10/30/nasdaq-falls-3-percent-tech-selloff-worst-day-june/
November 2, 2026
Nasdaq Ends October With Its Worst Month Since March 2025 as Tech Sell-Off Deepens
Introduction

October ended badly for tech stocks. On Friday, October 30, the Nasdaq Composite fell 2.9% to 25,437, the S&P 500 dropped 1.8% to 7,580, and the Dow Jones fell 1.1% to 51,770. For the full month, the Nasdaq lost more than 5%, its worst month since March 2025.

What Happened

The day’s biggest loser was Intel. Its shares plunged 28.6% to $65.76, the worst single day for the stock since the 1970s, according to CNBC reporting. The fall came after Intel gave a weak forecast for the fourth quarter, with revenue of $15 billion to $16 billion, below the roughly $17.1 billion Wall Street expected.

The pain spread across the chip sector. Qualcomm fell 11.1%, Nvidia dropped 4.2%, AMD lost about 11%, and SanDisk fell 13.5%. The Nasdaq 100, which tracks the largest tech stocks, fell 3.5%.

Amazon also slipped 1.4% after its own disappointing results the night before. Alphabet, which had already fallen 12.6% on Thursday in its worst day on record, dropped another 1.4% on Friday.

Not everything fell. Six of the eleven sectors in the S&P 500 actually rose. Energy gained 1.9% and consumer staples rose 1.4%, as investors moved money into safer, steadier businesses. Exxon Mobil and Chevron both briefly hit record share prices after strong earnings helped by refining profits.

Why It Happened

The simple story is this: investors are no longer willing to pay any price for AI spending. For months, big tech companies have been pouring hundreds of billions of dollars into data centres and chips. Now investors want to see the money coming back.

This week gave them reasons to doubt. Alphabet reported negative free cash flow. Amazon kept its 2026 spending plan at about $220 billion while reporting negative free cash flow of $42.4 billion over the past twelve months. Intel’s weak outlook suggested that even chipmakers are feeling pressure from a soft PC market and rising memory prices.

When a company that has already risen about 150% this year, as Intel had, disappoints on its outlook, the fall can be brutal.

Why It Matters

A few numbers put the week in context:
- The Nasdaq is now down 7.8% from its all-time closing high on October 6.
- For the week, the Nasdaq finished down 2%, the S&P 500 down 0.6%, and the Dow down 0.9%.
- For October, the Dow still gained 1.5%, but the S&P 500 lost 1.2%.
- Technology stocks lost more than $1 trillion in market value during Friday’s sell-off alone, according to market reports.
The split inside the market matters too. When energy, staples and utilities rise while tech falls, it tells you investors are not panicking about the whole economy. They are repricing one specific bet: the AI trade.

What Happens Next

All eyes now turn to next week. Apple reports earnings, the October jobs report arrives, and 138 S&P 500 companies are scheduled to report results. Investors will also be watching the US midterm elections on Tuesday.

If upcoming earnings show that AI spending is starting to pay off, tech could steady itself. If more companies disappoint, the sell-off could continue. Either way, the days when any AI announcement pushed a stock higher appear to be over, at least for now.

Final Thoughts

October was a reminder of a basic investing lesson: price matters. Great technology does not automatically mean a great stock at any price. When expectations get too high, even a decent quarter is not enough. Investors are now asking a harder question of every tech company: not “are you spending on AI?” but “when will that spending make money?”

Disclaimer: This article is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.

Sources: CNBC market coverage of the October 30 sell-off: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/10/30/amazon-intel-earnings-big-tech-ai-spending-concerns.html; market-wrap reporting of October 30 closing prices: The Edge (https://edgeconsultancykw.com/us-market-wrap-30-october-2026/) and Market Briefer (https://marketbriefer.com/the-global-close-october-30-2026-intels-worst-day-in-52-years-caps-the-ai-rout/).
October 31, 2026
Nasdaq Falls 3% as Tech Sell-Off Deepens — Worst Day Since June
Tech stocks took a hard hit on Friday, October 30. The Nasdaq composite fell 3% during the day, putting Wall Street on track for its worst day since June. The sell-off was led by big technology names, and it came right after a rough week for the same stocks.

The numbers below are from trading during the day, not the final closing numbers. Markets were still open when these figures were reported, so the final results may look a little different.

What Happened

The Nasdaq composite dropped 3% as of early afternoon Eastern time. The S&P 500 fell 1.8%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 496 points, or 0.9%.

The Nasdaq 100, which tracks the 100 largest non-financial companies on the Nasdaq, also fell about 3%. Reuters reported it was on course to lose just over $1 trillion in market value on the day.

Not every stock fell. Defensive stocks — the kind of companies people turn to when they want safety — actually rose. Walmart, Coca-Cola, and Procter & Gamble all moved higher while chipmakers dropped.

Why It Happened

Two earnings reports from Thursday night set the tone: Intel and Amazon.

Intel fell about 29% after it gave a weak forecast for the fourth quarter. The company said the slowdown in personal computer sales should last at least through the first half of next year. It also pointed to manufacturing problems, a memory chip shortage, and heavy spending to expand production. Reuters said the stock was set for its biggest one-day loss on record.

Amazon fell about 2% during the day, after dropping as much as 10% in after-hours trading on Thursday. The company reported quarterly capital spending of $77.3 billion, much higher than the $58.7 billion analysts expected. That spending is mostly going toward building artificial intelligence infrastructure — data centers, chips, and computing power.

Other chip stocks fell too. Nvidia dropped almost 4%, and AMD lost more than 9%.

This came one day after Google’s parent company Alphabet had its worst day ever on Thursday, falling 12.6%. Alphabet slipped about 1% more on Friday. Earlier this week, we covered that drop in detail: Why Google Stock Crashed 12.6%: What Investors Need to Know.

Key Figures
- Nasdaq composite: down 3% during Friday trading
- S&P 500: down 1.8%, on track to erase its gain for October
- Dow Jones: down 496 points, or 0.9%
- Intel: down about 29% after a weak fourth-quarter forecast
- Amazon: down about 2%, after capital spending of $77.3 billion beat expectations of $58.7 billion
- Nvidia: down almost 4%; AMD: down more than 9%
- Nasdaq 100: on course to lose just over $1 trillion in market value on the day
Why It Matters

The bigger worry here is simple: companies are spending huge amounts of money on AI, and investors are starting to ask when that spending will pay off.

Think of it like this. Imagine a restaurant owner borrows a lot of money to build a second location. If customers start coming in quickly, the bet pays off. But if the new location sits half-empty while the loan payments pile up, investors get nervous. That is roughly what is happening with AI right now. Tech giants are pouring tens of billions into data centers and chips, and the market wants proof that the returns will come soon enough.

October has already been a rough month for tech. Through Thursday’s close, the Nasdaq 100 was down 3.31% for the month, on track for its first monthly decline in three months, even though it is still up more than 16% for the year.

At the same time, the S&P 500 was on track to erase its entire gain for October, even though it set an all-time high earlier in the month. That shows how fast sentiment can change.

What Happens Next

A few things to watch. First, the final closing numbers for Friday — the early-afternoon figures above will be updated once trading ends. Second, more big tech earnings are still to come, including Apple and Meta, which could either calm the market or add to the selling. Third, investors will keep a close eye on whether companies start talking about slowing down their AI spending, or whether they double down.

It is also worth remembering that a 3% drop, while sharp, does not erase the year’s gains. The Nasdaq 100 is still well up for 2026. Big down days happen, even in strong years.

Final Thoughts

Friday’s sell-off is a reminder that even the strongest market trend can reverse quickly when expectations get too high. Investors loved the AI story all year, but now they want to see the profits behind the spending. Intel’s weak forecast and Amazon’s huge spending bill gave them a reason to step back.

For everyday investors, the lesson is not to panic over one bad day. It is to check whether the companies you own are actually making money from their big bets — or just spending more and hoping.

Disclaimer: This article is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.

Sources: CNBC — Stock market today live updates, Associated Press via Barchart — tech sell-off drags Nasdaq down 3%, Reuters coverage of the Nasdaq 100’s $1 trillion market value drop
October 30, 2026
Amazon Shares Fall 7% After Earnings Miss, Even as Cloud Growth Hits 39%
Amazon reported its third-quarter results on Thursday, October 29, and investors did not like what they saw. The company’s shares fell about 7% in after-hours and premarket trading, even though its cloud business had one of its best quarters in years.

That reaction tells you a lot about how the stock market works right now. Good news is not always enough. When a company is spending as much money as Amazon is, investors want everything to be perfect.

What Happened

Amazon’s total sales rose 12% to $201.9 billion in the three months ended September 30, 2026. That was slightly below the $202.31 billion analysts expected.

Earnings per share came in at $1.89, also below the $1.96 that analysts had forecast. Net income fell slightly to $20.7 billion, from $21.2 billion a year earlier. Part of that drop is because last year’s quarter included a $9.5 billion one-time gain from Amazon’s investment in Anthropic, an AI company. Without that gain, the comparison would look better.

The bright spot was Amazon Web Services, or AWS, the company’s cloud computing business. AWS sales jumped 39% to $46.0 billion, its fastest growth in nearly five years. AWS now runs at a $184 billion annual revenue pace. Its operating profit rose to $17.8 billion.

Advertising revenue grew 11% to $19.6 billion, but that was also below expectations of $20.8 billion. Online store sales grew just 2% to $68.5 billion.

For the holiday quarter, Amazon expects sales of $240 billion to $247 billion, growth of 12% to 16% from a year earlier. The middle of that range was a little below what analysts had hoped for.

Why It Happened

The main reason investors sold the stock is spending. Amazon spent $77.3 billion on property and equipment in the quarter alone, more than double the $35.1 billion it spent a year earlier. Most of that money goes to data centres and AI chips.

For the full year, Amazon is keeping its capital spending plan at about $220 billion. That is a huge number. It is also why the company’s free cash flow, the cash left over after spending on things like data centres, turned negative. Over the past twelve months, free cash flow was negative $42.4 billion, compared with a positive $14.8 billion a year earlier.

Think of it this way. Imagine a shop owner who is making more money than ever, but is also building ten new shops at the same time. The business looks great on paper, but the bank balance goes down because all the cash is going into construction. That is roughly what Amazon is doing, except the “shops” are data centres for artificial intelligence.

Amazon’s chief executive, Andy Jassy, said the company expects AWS revenue to grow by more than 40% in both 2027 and 2028. The company says customers are using the new AI capacity almost as fast as it is built. But investors want proof that this spending will turn into steady profits, not just faster revenue growth.

Key Figures
- Total sales: $201.9 billion, up 12% (expected: $202.31 billion)
- Earnings per share: $1.89 (expected: $1.96)
- AWS sales: $46.0 billion, up 39%
- AWS operating profit: $17.8 billion
- Quarterly capital spending: $77.3 billion
- Trailing twelve-month free cash flow: negative $42.4 billion
- Fourth-quarter sales forecast: $240 billion to $247 billion
- Full-year 2026 capital spending plan: about $220 billion
Why It Matters

Amazon is not alone. This week, several big technology companies reported strong revenue growth but negative free cash flow because of heavy AI spending, and their stocks fell. It is a sign that investors are starting to ask harder questions about the AI boom: how much will all this spending cost, and when will it pay off?

Related reading: Why Google Stock Crashed 12.6%: What Investors Need to Know

Amazon’s case is also a useful lesson for beginners. A company can grow fast and still see its stock fall. The stock market reacts to expectations, not just results. When expectations are very high, even a small miss can cause a big drop.

What Happens Next

All eyes will be on the holiday quarter. Amazon’s fourth quarter is its biggest of the year, and the $240 billion to $247 billion forecast will be tested against real holiday shopping. Investors will also watch whether AWS growth stays above 40% next year, as the company predicts, and whether free cash flow starts to improve as the new data centres fill up.

Final Thoughts

Amazon’s business is still growing, and its cloud division is performing very well. But the stock’s fall is a reminder that growth funded by massive spending comes with a question mark. Until the cash starts flowing back, investors will stay nervous, and that nervousness can hit even the strongest companies.

Disclaimer: This article is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.

Sources: CNBC, “Amazon falls 7%, Intel plunges 25% in premarket trading, as pressure mounts after earnings” (https://www.cnbc.com/2026/10/30/amazon-intel-earnings-big-tech-ai-spending-concerns.html); Amazon Q3 2026 earnings release (https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/company-news/amazon-earnings-q3-2026-report).
October 30, 2026