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Global stocks plunge amid AI slowdown fears after Democrats’ midterm triumph

European stock markets have fallen sharply as a rout in US tech stocks spread across the Atlantic, after the Democrats’ midterms victory sparked fears of a slowdown in the AI industry. A sell-off on Wall Street on Thursday was followed by sharp falls in Asian stocks markets on Friday morning. The investor sentiment then reached London, where the market is poised for its worst day since March. The FTSE 100 index, which tracks blue-chip shares listed in London, was down 207 points, or 1.9%, at 10,575 points in mid…

Truvace record2 min read1 sourceEvidence: Emerging · 42/100 — News report · 1 independent sourceJournalismTRV-2026-2397 · cite or check it
Global stocks plunge amid AI slowdown fears after Democrats’ midterm triumph

In brief

European stocks fell sharply on Friday 6 November 2026 after a US tech rout, which began when the Democrats' midterm victory prompted fears of a slowdown in the AI industry. The FTSE 100 was down 1.9% at 10,575 points, Germany's Dax fell 1.9%, France's Cac 40 dropped 1.5% and Spain's Ibex lost 1.1%.

The sell-off started on Wall Street, where the Nasdaq slumped 5.5% on Thursday, its worst day in 19 months. Chip stocks led the fall: SanDisk tumbled 22% and Western Digital 17%, while Japan's Nikkei sank 6% and South Korea's Kospi fell more than 8%.

Most indices are still up for the year, with the Nasdaq Composite up 4.6% and the FTSE 100 up almost 6.9%. Jefferies economist Mohit Kumar said he did not see the drop as the start of an unwind of the AI trade, and analysts warned of more volatility, including from the Iran conflict and oil prices.

Main points

  1. The Nasdaq fell 5.5% on Thursday, its worst day in 19 months.
  2. SanDisk fell 22% and Western Digital 17% as chip stocks led the slump.
  3. Wall Street's Vix volatility index jumped 61% to its highest since the early weeks of the Iran war.
  4. Nikkei 225 sank 6% and Kospi tumbled more than 8% on Friday.
  5. Copper was set for its biggest weekly fall since March, with a 2.79% drop, as CRU's Craig Lang said prices were increasingly tied to sentiment on datacentre expansion.
  6. Despite the losses, the Nasdaq Composite is still up 4.6% in 2026 and the FTSE 100 almost 6.9%.

The problem

Fears that AI datacentre spending will slow after the Democrats' midterm win drove a 5.5% one-day Nasdaq drop and falls of up to 8% in Asian and European markets, according to market reports.

The full story

Wealth Club's Susannah Streeter said worries were colliding: datacentre build-out looks set to slow, threatening the spending boom, just as investors have become nervous about returns on the massive investment.

CMC Markets' Christopher Forbes described the Asian session as 'a bit of a disaster', with client margin calls and complaints after clients who were long stocks lost money. IG's Chris Beauchamp said AI fears meant there was a risk of much more selling to come.

Jefferies economist Mohit Kumar said AI investment has been a key driver of US growth and he did not expect Democrats to give up on it, since datacentres and AI infrastructure create jobs. He did not expect a quick rebound in the US.

Sources

  1. JournalismThe Guardian2026-11-06

The debate