Investors wipe $2.5 trillion off Nasdaq as Democrats win prompts AI fears

Investors experienced a significant loss of $2.5 trillion from the Nasdaq Composite after the Democratic Party's victory in midterm elections, sparking concerns about potential AI infrastructure slowdown. The Nasdaq Composite plummeted 5.5 percent, marking its most substantial single-day drop since April 2025. Analysts attributed the decline to fears that Democrats would obstruct AI development and data center construction, which have been hindered by higher interest rates and tighter financial conditions.

This grim turn of events marked the second consecutive day of selling in AI stocks and the fifth decline exceeding 500 points within the Nasdaq Composite since mid-October. The previously thriving AI sector has been under intense scrutiny in recent weeks.

Michael O'Rourke, a chief market strategist at JonesTrading, stated that the impact of the Democratic Party's sweeping midterm victory would be felt in the form of a slowdown in the data center buildout. The Nasdaq Composite has now entered correction territory, having lost nearly 12 percent from its record high on October 6. Many analysts anticipate further selling, possibly starting on Friday in Asian markets.

Japan's Nikkei and South Korea's Kospi have experienced significant declines this year, falling by over 20 percent, following a sharp drop in data center shares on Wednesday.

Worries about the scale of the losses may affect the timing of Anthropic's highly anticipated IPO, set for this fall. A delay could exacerbate the market sentiment further. Chip and neocloud shares saw the most significant declines on Thursday, with the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index and Nvidia experiencing substantial drops. The VIX index, which gauges market fear, also hit its highest level since December 2024.