Wall Street suffered heavy losses, Asian technology stocks plunged and European markets weakened on Friday, 30 October, as mounting concerns over artificial intelligence spending, corporate earnings and economic uncertainty unsettled investors.
NEW YORK/LONDON, 31 October 2026 – Global financial markets ended Friday’s trading session under considerable pressure, with technology shares leading declines across major exchanges. Investors increasingly questioned whether the enormous investments being made in artificial intelligence could generate sufficient returns to justify elevated valuations.
The sell-off extended across North America, Europe and much of Asia, although selected markets, including Hong Kong, India and Australia, showed greater resilience.
Wall Street suffers heavy technology losses
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1.09% to close at 51,770.31, while the S&P 500 declined 1.82% to 7,580.07.
The technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite suffered the sharpest losses among the three major American benchmarks, dropping 2.86% to 25,437.00.
Intel plunged nearly 29% following disappointing earnings guidance, while concerns surrounding Amazon’s artificial intelligence expenditure added to pressure on technology valuations.
European markets close mostly lower
Germany’s DAX declined 0.85% to 25,818.21, while France’s CAC 40 finished virtually unchanged at 7,969.42.
The Euro Stoxx 50 lost approximately 1.22%, reflecting weakness across major eurozone companies.
London’s FTSE 100 proved more resilient, edging 0.07% higher to 10,729.78, supported by the index’s relatively defensive composition.
Asian markets record significant declines
Japan’s Nikkei 225 dropped 2.12% to 63,290.11, while South Korea’s KOSPI fell approximately 3.48%.
Mainland China’s Shanghai Composite closed at 3,599.02, declining 2.24%, while Indonesia’s benchmark index also suffered substantial losses.
Hong Kong provided a notable exception, with the Hang Seng advancing to 23,294.42. Australian equities also finished higher.
Oil advances as investors seek safety
Energy markets moved in the opposite direction to equities. Brent crude settled around $117.63 per barrel, while US crude reached approximately $104.12.
US Treasury yields declined as investors shifted towards government bonds amid growing financial uncertainty.
Markets face an uncertain November
Friday’s losses highlighted increasing doubts about the sustainability of the technology-driven rally that has dominated financial markets.
With oil prices elevated, corporate earnings under scrutiny and economic growth concerns persisting, investors enter November confronting a potentially more volatile global financial environment.
NewsHub Finance | Global Markets | 31 October 2026
Wall Street suffered heavy losses, Asian technology stocks plunged and European markets weakened on Friday, 30 October, as mounting concerns over artificial intelligence spending, corporate earnings and economic uncertainty unsettled investors.
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