The chain of decline: from the US to Europe

The correction that began Thursday on Wall Street extended Friday morning to Asian markets and then to European markets. According to the Guardian's account, the Nasdaq index closed the session down 5.5%, its worst result in 19 months, while the VIX volatility index jumped 61% to its highest levels since the start of the war with Iran. Leading the sell-off were semiconductor and storage stocks: memory maker SanDisk fell 22% and Western Digital 17%.

In Asia, Japan's Nikkei 225 fell 6% and South Korea's Kospi more than 8% in early trading. The wave then reached London, where the FTSE 100 opened down 1.5%, or 166 points, at 10,615. In Europe, Germany's Dax fell 1.5%, France's Cac 40 1.2% and Spain's Ibex 1.1%.

The link to the midterms and the thesis on an AI slowdown

The Guardian links the sell-off wave to the Democrats' victory in the US midterm elections, which, according to the newspaper, fueled fears of a slowdown in the artificial intelligence sector. The causal link is presented as a market reading, not as an established fact: the material does not document which policy measures would be expected or why the new majority should weigh on AI.

The dynamic is explained by a quote from Susannah Streeter, chief investment strategist at Wealth Club, reported by the source: data center construction “seems set to slow,” with the risk of undermining the spending that sustains the boom, just as investors have become “very nervous” about the returns on these massive investments. This is a statement from a market participant, not a verified fact.

Individual companies and the year's overall picture

On the London market, the biggest decline among large-cap stocks was AstraZeneca, down 2.8% at the open. IAG, parent company of British Airways and Iberia, fell 1.5% after missing profit forecasts in a trading update. Miners Antofagasta and Anglo American also fell, though the material does not indicate the size of the decline.

Despite the losses, the source stresses that most indices remain positive since the start of the year. The Nasdaq Composite is still up 4.6% since January, although more than 10% below its peak; the FTSE 100 is up almost 6.9% in 2026, but is more than 300 points below its July record high. The picture is therefore one of a correction within a still-favorable annual trend, not a confirmed reversal.

Source and attribution: this original summary was prepared by AICronaca based on the report by The Guardian — AI ↗The statements are attributed to the source; possible information limitations: The material does not clarify the mechanism that would link the Democratic midterm victory to the alleged AI slowdown: the link is reported as market perception. The text cites a war with Iran as a time reference for the VIX without providing context. It does not indicate the closing values of Asian markets or the extent of the miners' losses. Streeter's assessments are the opinions of a market participant, not verified data.