Tech Rout Sparks Broad Selloff as Volatility Jumps at the Close

U.S. stocks fell sharply Wednesday, led by a renewed selloff in technology shares, as investors reassessed the outlook for artificial intelligence spending and braced for heightened macro uncertainty heading into key inflation data.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 228.29 points, or 0.47%, to finish at 47,886.0. The S&P 500 dropped 1.16% to 6,721.50, while the Nasdaq Composite sank 1.81% to 22,693.3, its steepest decline of the session. Small-cap stocks also weakened, with the Russell 2000 down 1.07% to 247.22.

Pressure intensified after Oracle shares fell nearly 6% following a report by the Financial Times that private lender Blue Owl Capital would not back a proposed $10 billion financing for Oracle’s next data center. The report raised concerns among investors about the pace of debt-funded investment across the AI ecosystem and whether returns will justify the surge in capital expenditures. The move weighed broadly on large-cap technology names that have driven much of the market’s gains this year.

Risk aversion was evident across asset classes. The CBOE Volatility Index climbed 5.28% to 17.35, signaling increased demand for downside protection as equities slid into the close. Bitcoin fell 1.92% to $85,948.41, extending intraday losses as speculative assets tracked the pullback in growth stocks.

In commodities, energy prices advanced, with crude rising 2.12% to $56.30 a barrel, while precious metals also moved higher, with gold up nearly 1% at $4,374.50 an ounce. The gains suggested selective hedging demand even as broader markets weakened.

Economic undercurrents added to the cautious tone. According to the Bank of America Institute, small business prfoitability remained positive in November, supported by seasonal shopping, but year-over-year profit growth slipped below zero for the first time in 18 months. Payments to hiring firms declined 4.6% from a year earlier, pointing to a cooling labor market among smaller employers, even as longer-term optimism and interest in AI adoption remain elevated .

Investors are also positioning ahead of Thursday’s Consumer Price Index release, which analysts expect to be unusually difficult to interpret because October data will not be published following the government shutdown. A CPI preview published by AInvest noted that the lack of a clean month-over-month comparison could amplify short-term market reactions and increase volatility, even if underlying inflation trends are stabilizing .

By the closing bell, the session reflected a market grappling with valuation concerns in technology, uncertainty around AI-related spending, and an increasingly fragile macro backdrop, factors that together pushed investors toward a more defensive stance.