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Business & Stocks Economic Times Markets • Oct 30, 2026

Nasdaq 100 Cracks 5.8% Amid $2 Trillion Valuation Wipeout Driven by AI Capital Expenditure Concerns

💡 Key Takeaways

•The Nasdaq 100 index fell over 5.8% in October amid growing macroeconomic headwinds.
•Nearly $2 trillion in aggregate market capitalization was wiped out across major tech equities.
•Escalating artificial intelligence infrastructure capital expenditures by Meta, Alphabet, and Microsoft weighed on investor sentiment.

NEW DELHI [NCRBuzz Wire] — **MUMBAI [NCRBuzz Wire] — Global equity markets witnessed a severe contraction in October, led by a 5.8% slump in the Nasdaq 100 index that wiped out approximately $2 trillion in aggregate market capitalization.** Investor sentiment deteriorated sharply as corporations aggressively expanded their capital expenditure (CapEx) toward artificial intelligence infrastructure against a backdrop of restrictive macroeconomic borrowing costs.

### Financial Metrics & Index Performance

**Technology sector valuations faced intense downward pressure as institutional equity holders re-evaluated return on investment timelines for multi-billion-dollar generative AI deployments.** Meta Platforms, Alphabet Inc., and Microsoft Corporation reported escalating fiscal outflows dedicated entirely to next-generation data centers, advanced semiconductor procurement, and specialized cloud computing architecture.

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### Why Capital Expenditure Fears Are Escalating

**The primary driver behind the market sell-off is the divergence between massive upfront capital investments in artificial intelligence and the realization of commensurate monetization milestones.** Equity analysts note that rising interest rate environments maintained by central banks globally have amplified the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding tech equities with extended payback periods.

### Market Outlook & Future Projections

**Despite near-term valuation compression, industry projections indicate that global AI infrastructure spending will continue on an upward trajectory toward 2030.** Institutional investors are demanding clearer fiscal discipline and demonstrable revenue generation from mega-cap technology firms before re-establishing aggressive long positions in growth-heavy indices.

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🏛️ Background Context

The technology sector has experienced unprecedented cyclical rallies and corrections driven by successive technological revolutions, transitioning from the dot-com era to cloud computing and currently generative artificial intelligence, against the backdrop of fluctuating global central bank monetary policy.

💡 Citizen & Commuter Quick Explainer (FAQ)

Q1: What caused the Nasdaq 100 drop in October?

The index fell over 5.8% due to escalating investor concerns over high artificial intelligence capital expenditures and restrictive borrowing costs.

Q2: Which companies are driving the AI infrastructure spending?

Major technology conglomerates including Meta Platforms, Alphabet, and Microsoft are aggressively increasing their capital outlays for AI data centers.

Q3: How much market value was lost during the October correction?

Approximately $2 trillion in aggregate market capitalization was wiped out from the Nasdaq 100 index during the correction.

Verified Wires: Economic Times Markets Original Wire Dispatch ↗

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