{
  "id": 18925149,
  "title": "Wall Street's Biggest Bubble Looks Ready to Burst, and I Don't Mean AI or Quantum Computing",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/08/wall-streets-biggest-bubble-looks-ready-to-burst-and-i-dont-mean-ai",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-11-08T11:36:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Motley Fool",
    "slug": "motley-fool",
    "url": "https://www.fool.com/investing/2026/11/08/wall-street-biggest-bubble-looks-ready-to-burst-not-ai-or-quantum-computing/?source=iedfolrf0000001"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Last month, Wall Street and investors marked the fourth anniversary of the current bull market. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite have both more than doubled since their 2022 lows, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average has rallied up to 90%. The growth of artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum computing have been key drivers behind Wall Street's major stock indexes' rise. However, concerns are growing about a potential bubble burst in AI and/or quantum computing. While history has shown that every game-changing technology has experienced early-innings bubble bursts, there is another significant bubble that might be about to burst, according to historical patterns. This bubble is the $1.5 trillion outstanding margin debt, a measure of investors' willingness to take risks. The latest data shows that margin debt reached an all-time high of $1.502 trillion in June. Historically, when outstanding margin debt has increased dramatically over a short time frame, bad things often happen. Since the mid-1990s, there have been four instances where margin debt increased by at least 65% over a period of 12 to 19 months, all of which coincided with substantial bear markets. The current outlook for Wall Street's AI- and quantum computing-driven rally is not promising. If history repeats itself, investors can expect a sharp bear market downturn in the near future. While downturns can be emotionally driven and difficult for most investors, they are a natural part of the investing cycle. Bull and bear market cycles are not linear, and historical data shows that even during recessions, depressions, wars, and pandemics, the S&P 500 has always generated a positive average annual total return over a 20-year period. The $1.5 trillion margin debt bubble might present an opportunity for investors to capitalize on the situation.",
  "summary": "A $1.5 trillion powder keg can upend the stock market’s four-year rally.",
  "key_points": [
    "Wall Street marks 4th anniversary of current bull market",
    "$1.5 trillion margin debt hits all-time high in June",
    "Historical patterns suggest potential bubble burst imminent"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Nasdaq Markets",
        "title": "Wall Street's Biggest Bubble Looks Ready to Burst, and I Don't Mean AI or Quantum Computing",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/08/wall-streets-biggest-bubble-looks-ready-to-burst-and-i-dont-mean-ai-18933273",
        "published": "2026-11-08T11:56:02.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}