Asian stock markets report losses not seen since the COVID pandemic, while in Europe the main markets fell more than 1% this Friday, a day after technology sector stocks plummeted in the US following the victory of the Democrats in the midterm elections. Investors fear greater regulation and a slowdown in the construction of data centers for artificial intelligence.
First modification: 06/11/2026 - 16:03
World stock markets plummeted on Friday, November 6, weighed down by the massive sale of shares on Wall Street in companies linked to the artificial intelligence sector, after the victory of the Democratic Party in the midterm elections in the United States.
Asian markets suffered a day not seen since the times of COVID. The Taipei, Seoul and Tokyo stock exchanges, especially exposed to the technology sector and which bring together key companies in the global AI supply chains, closed with falls of 4.51%, 6.02% and 5.96%, respectively.
In response, Taiwan's Finance Ministry activated a $15 billion stock stabilization fund after many owners dumped their assets in technology companies in the worst week for the Taiwanese stock market since 2001.
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Memory chip makers, greatly blessed by the rise of AI, led the declines: SanDisk plummeted 22% and both Micron and AMD lost 17% of their value.
Likewise, European markets also suffered: The French CAC 40 fell 1.2% in early trading, while the German DAX lost 1.4% and the British FTSE 100 plummeted 2%.
Meanwhile, the MSCI Emerging Markets Index fell 2.7% to its lowest level in seven months, sending it into its sixth consecutive week of decline, Reuters reported.
United States, epicenter of the stock market shakeup
The world's stock markets were dragged down by the collapse of US markets on Thursday, the worst day for Wall Street since President Donald Trump convulsed global markets with his "Liberation Day" tariffs in April 2025.
The Nasdaq, the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones fell 5.52%, 4.36% and 3.44%, respectively, in a day in which almost $3 trillion disappeared from the market value of S&P companies.
The drop far exceeded the U.S. stock market's gains from the previous day, which had been the best in three months. Stocks of AI chip companies are among the most influential on Wall Street.
One of those affected by this debacle was Elon Musk, whose assets were reduced by around $113 billion in the last two days, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, after Tesla and SpaceX were punished on the stock market.
"Today the stock market crashed because the Democrats had a great Tuesday. How sad to see! You only have yourself to blame!" Trump posted on his Truth Social platform on Thursday night, after the US markets closed.
This Friday, US stocks stabilized, with Nasdaq futures rising, driven by the advance of semiconductor stocks. In addition, Wall Street's panic index has fallen slightly, revealing a decline in nervousness among American investors.
Democrats plan limits on AI; Trump prefers to "get rich"
The Democratic Party regained control of both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives in the midterm elections. This change in leadership in both chambers of Congress worries technology sector investors about the possibility of promoting greater regulatory control that slows the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence.
"There is this regulatory and political uncertainty, which I think will be with us until we really understand the magnitude of the slowdown that we face," Marvin Loh, senior global macroeconomic strategist at State Street, told Reuters.
Democrats plan to push through a battery of laws to regulate artificial intelligence systems and data center development when they take control of the US Congress in January, lawmakers and congressional aides have previously explained.
They seek to protect consumers from rising electricity costs linked to data centers, require independent testing of advanced AI systems, and clarify when AI companies can be held liable for harm caused by their products.
Representative Greg Casar, Democrat of Texas and chairman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, even argued this week that AI industry leaders should be subpoenaed to testify under oath, while Senator Bernie Sanders has advocated for a moratorium on data center construction.
Democrats also plan to use renewed power to step up scrutiny of the industry's most powerful companies, including OpenAI and Anthropic, at a time when the latter wants to go public with an initial valuation of $1.5 million. Some analysts warn that the current situation could force that figure to be revalued and even delay its release to the market.
In contrast, Trump promised on Friday to work with US states "that want to get rich" thanks to artificial intelligence. "It is pure gold, and only foolish leadership would say 'no' to the riches it brings!" the Republican wrote in Truth Social.
With information from EFE, Reuters, AP and local media.
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