European Stocks Slide 1.5% as Nasdaq’s 5.5% AI-Led Rout Spreads Globally
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Nov 6
European Stocks Slide 1.5% as Nasdaq’s 5.5% AI-Led Rout Spreads Globally
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Nov 6
Summary
FTSE 100 fell 1.5% to 10,615 at the open, while Germany’s Dax lost 1.5%, France’s Cac 40 dropped 1.2% and Spain’s Ibex slipped 1.1%.
Nasdaq’s 5.5% plunge on Thursday — its worst day in 19 months — drove the selloff after Democrats’ midterm win fueled fears that AI datacenter build-outs and returns on heavy spending could slow.
Chip and storage stocks led the US rout, with SanDisk down 22% and Western Digital off 17%, while the Vix jumped 61% to its highest since the early weeks of the Iran war.
Asian markets extended the slide before Europe opened, with Japan’s Nikkei 225 down 6% and South Korea’s Kospi tumbling more than 8% in early trading.
Most major indexes still remain higher for 2026 despite the shock: the Nasdaq is up 4.6% year to date, and the FTSE 100 has gained nearly 6.9%.