Tech Rout Deepens as AI Spending Concerns Erode Market Confidence

The Dow Jones Industrial Average shed 506.93 points, sliding 0.97% to 51,711.65, while the S&P 500 retreated 1.21% to 7,408.30. Trading on the NYSE skewed heavily negative, with 1,995 issues declining against only 759 advancing. Alphabet stock suffered a 6.9% drop—the largest single-day market capitalization loss in its history—after the company projected annual capital spending reaching $205 billion.

Tesla shares tumbled 14% as the electric-vehicle maker reported negative free cash flow for the first time in two years. Heavy investment into autonomous driving and robotics, including the Terafab chip-manufacturing facility developed alongside SpaceX and Intel, drained liquidity despite rising revenues. This disconnect between soaring sales and shrinking cash reserves has fueled investor anxiety regarding the sustainability of the industry's aggressive infrastructure buildout.