AI stocks have their worst day since April 2025, then partly rebound

What was claimed?

US stocks fell sharply on Thursday, November 5, 2026. NBC reports that the Nasdaq 100 dropped 6.3%, the S&P 500 4.4% and the Nasdaq Composite more than 5.5%, taking the Composite into correction territory, with the two main indexes having their worst day since April 2025. CNN reports that NVIDIA and SpaceX each fell roughly 9%, and puts the value lost on Wall Street at about $2.5 trillion. On Friday, November 6, the Kospi and Nikkei 225 both closed down 6% and the Taiex 4.5%, and South Korea's market briefly halted trading. US shares then recovered part of the loss during Friday's session, with the Nasdaq up 1.8% and the S&P 500 up 1% at the time of CNN's report.

What does the evidence support?

Reported claim, not independently established

Both reports link the fall to Democrats' election wins, including many candidates who pledged to slow or stop data-centre construction, and to growing doubts about the durability of AI spending. AI-linked companies now weigh heavily enough in markets that a change in expected policy moved indexes across Asia and Europe. Reuters also links the selloff to investor doubts about Anthropic's IPO, covered in a separate story.

What are the limits?

Reasons for market moves are interpretations by reporters and strategists, not measurements. Value-lost figures differ by source and index: CNN says about $2.5 trillion, while NBC gives $2.3 trillion for the Nasdaq 100 and $2.8 trillion for the S&P 500. Friday's US figures were intraday and are not closing prices. These reports describe no enacted federal or state moratorium. Two days of trading do not show that AI demand or spending has changed.

Claim or evidence date: 2026-11-06. Last verified: 2026-11-06T20:17:43.797Z.

CNN · AI stocks bounce back after $2.5 trillion wipe out ↗