World stocks dip on AI spending concerns, Brent settles lower

On Tuesday, world stocks declined as worries about AI spending impacted chipmakers and investors awaited US corporate earnings for signs on whether major technology firms could justify their heavy capital spending. Brent crude futures also slipped due to assessments of the Middle East conflict's developments. Wall Street's three major indexes all finished lower, with industrials, healthcare, and financials leading the losses.

Chip stocks dropped more than 2%. Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped by 0.35%, S&P 500 fell 0.02%, and Nasdaq Composite declined 0.15%. The pan-European STOXX 600 index decreased by 0.1%, while MSCI's global stocks index dropped 0.23%. AI trade has been a major driver for the market in the first half of the year, but recent concerns about concentration risks and the payoff timeline have weighed on investors.

Gerry Sparrow, president and portfolio manager at Sparrow Capital Management, noted that Chinese memory chip maker CXMT's progress has raised concerns about increased competition from Chinese AI players. Broadcom CEO Hock Tan likened some flows into the broader AI sector to "casino gambling." Earnings season officially began with results from large banks, with JPMorgan Chase shares dropping 0.86% after reporting a third-quarter profit increase, driven by investment banking and trading performances.

Wells Fargo fell 3.1% and Goldman Sachs declined 0.23% following their results. AI leaders Alphabet, Amazon.com, Meta Platforms, and Nvidia have yet to report their quarterly earnings, leaving investors uncertain about the capital spending cycle and its impact on the broader market.