S&P 500, Nasdaq fall as Nvidia CEO’s exit rattles AI stocks

On November 12, Wall Street's main indexes were set to open lower as fears of a possible Nvidia CEO exit and higher oil prices prompted investors to retreat to the sidelines. Reports of Jensen Huang, Nvidia's longstanding leader, involving a second extramarital affair caused his shares to drop 8.5% in premarket trading. Investors worried about the potential impact of a leadership change at the AI-focused company.

Robert Pavlik, a senior portfolio manager at Dakota Wealth, stated that Nvidia will need to find a suitable successor to restore investor confidence in the company's leadership and direction. At 8:35 a.m. ET, Dow E-minis fell 174 points (0.33%), S&P 500 E-minis dropped 51 points (0.67%), and Nasdaq 100 E-minis tumbled 348 points (1.22%).

AI stocks were also shaken by Nebius announcing that its 2026 revenue would be at the low end of its previous forecast, causing its shares to decline 16%. Peer CoreWeave fell about 10%. Chipmakers Intel, Marvell Technology, and Micron experienced losses ranging from 2.7% to 3.5%. Other data center-related firms, IREN, Applied Digital, and Core Scientific, saw declines of around 5% each.

The drop in Nvidia's stock erased the gains made by AI stocks the previous day, when strong results from CoreWeave boosted the sector. Apple was the sole gain among the Magnificent Seven, increasing by 0.4%. Nvidia's competitors Advanced Micro Devices and Broadcom rose by 1.6% and 1.1%, respectively.

Investors are also preparing for the release of the Producer Price Index on Friday, which could influence inflation expectations following data released earlier in the week showing consumer prices rising more than anticipated last month. Although a decline in oil prices earlier in November has somewhat alleviated concerns about price pressures, investors remain cautious about geopolitical risks in the Middle East.

Brent crude futures and US West Texas Intermediate crude prices rose by 1.4% and 1% on Thursday, following US President Donald Trump's assertion that the US does not need a deal with Iran. Traders believe a Federal Reserve rate hike in December is inevitable, with about a 13% chance of a 50-basis-point increase, according to the CME FedWatch tool.

The financial effects of low oil prices will likely take time to diminish, as oil prices have hovered near $100 per barrel for much of the year, contributing to inflation, says Josh Hirt, a senior US economist at Vanguard. However, if oil prices do not see a renewed and sustained increase, their impact on inflation should remain limited. Separately, Michael Saylor's Strategy dropped 6.4% premarket after MSCI announced that the stock would be removed from its global indexes.