US stocks took a sharp turn lower Thursday morning as concerns about Big Tech continued to dog markets and private jobs data showed a tough month for layoffs in October.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) led the way lower, sliding 1.6%. The S&P 500 (^GSPC) lost 0.9%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) sank around 0.8%.
The market received bearish data on jobs Thursday morning, as a report from the global outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas showed that last month was the worst October for layoff announcements since 2003.
Meanwhile, investors are trying to parse mixed signals as they debate whether tech valuations are too lofty. Chipmaker Qualcomm (QCOM) posted strong earnings and upbeat guidance in after hours, but its stock slid over 4% — reflecting investor disappointment. Shares of megacap chip giants were also in focus, with Nvidia (NVDA) sliding over 2% and AMD (AMD) down over 6%.
That turns a spotlight on Tesla’s (TSLA) shareholder meeting, scheduled to start at 4 p.m. ET. A vote on Elon Musk’s proposed trillion-dollar pay package is the main event, amid worries he will quit as the EV maker’s CEO if the plan is rejected. Overall, though, investors will watch the outcome for signs the “Magnificent Seven” tech megacaps that include Tesla can continue to power this year’s rally in stocks.
Also, the market took note of skepticism from several Supreme Court justices on the legality of Trump’s sweeping trade tariffs, even though Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he was “very, very optimistic.” A ruling against the policy could roll back the duties, with enormous impact on international trade as well as domestic spending.
Wall Street is also calculating the fallout from the FAA’s decision to cut 10% of flights at 40 airports because of the federal shutdown, which entered its sixth week and record 37th day on Thursday. The move aims to keep travelers safe amid a shortage of air traffic controllers, who haven’t been paid for almost a month. The canceled flights add to already disruptive delays due to the staffing pressures.
On the earnings front, results from Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), Airbnb (ABNB), and Moderna (MRNA) the standouts on Thursday’s docket.
LIVE 15 updates
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Rare earth stocks fall as trade worries continue to ease, MP Materials to report earnings
Rare earth stocks fell in the first hours of Thursday’s trading session as fears around a supply cutoff by China continued to ease and MP Materials (MP) prepared to report earnings after the bell.
Shares in MP Materials, the operator of the largest commercial rare earth mine in the Western hemisphere, and prospective miners USA Rare Earth (USAR) and Ramaco Resources (METC) all fell by more than 4.5%.
Rare earth stocks had notched a meteoric run-up in recent months as Beijing threatened to flex its political muscle and largely cut off the supply of the minerals, which are critical throughout industries from weapons development to medical technology.
The stocks have also been supported by a slew of public investments in the company by the US government as the Trump administration looks to usher forward a domestic supply chain for the materials.
MP Materials, the preeminent name of the bunch, is up more than 110% over the past six months. Ramaco Resources is up more than 130% over the same period, while USA Rare Earth has gained more than 50%.
The stocks have fallen over the past week after a long-anticipated sit-down between President Trump and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping. As part of a tentative agreement reached by the two leaders, Beijing said it will delay the implementation of strict export controls on the materials introduced in early October for at least a year.
MP Materials is set to report quarterly results after the closing bell today, with analysts calling for an adjusted loss per share $0.16 on $53 million in revenue for the mining company, according to consensus estimates from S&P Global Market Intelligence.
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Saudi Aramco cuts oil prices for Asian buyers as glut signals strengthen
Saudi Aramco (2223.SR), the world’s largest oil company, cut the price of its flagship oil grade sent to Asia for December to the lowest level in 11 months, according to Bloomberg.
The state-owned Aramco lowered the price of its Arab Light crude by $1.20 per barrel to a premium of $1 over the Oman/Dubai regional average, signaling a bearish outlook on the growing global oil glut expected to hit the market in force in 2026.
Aramco also cut prices for its heavy, medium, super light, and extra light crude grades sent to Asia, according to Bloomberg. Prices on grades sent to North American buyers were lowered by $0.50.
Steady demand, particularly from China and India has kept a floor under Middle Eastern prices, even as global benchmarks have fallen throughout the year. The price cuts may reflect an expected slowdown in purchasing from the region.
Brent crude (BZ=F), the global benchmark for oil, fell by a bit over 0.4% on Thursday.
The decision from Aramco to cut its prices comes only days after the OPEC+ cartel — which counts Saudi Arabia as its leader — announced that it would unwind cuts by another 137,000 barrels per day in December before initiating a three-month hold on adjusting production rates in what has widely been viewed as a protective measure against the incoming oil glut.
While estimates vary, the International Energy Agency’s most recent predictions put the 2026 glut at more than four million barrels per day, following a year where prices have already been depressed. But recent sanctions from the US Treasury Department on Rosneft and Lukoil, the two largest oil producers in Russia, have complicated views on just how large a glut might be.
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Duolingo shares plummet as AI pitch falls flat, bookings estimates miss
Shares in the language-learning app Duolingo (DUOL) plummeted on Thursday, falling more than 25% as an AI-heavy pitch from the company fell flat with investors and the company lowered its guidance on bookings.
Duolingo, which has leaned into pitching itself as an AI-forward company in recent months, posted third quarter sales of $271.1 million against analyst estimates of $260.3 million. But several negative measures dragged shares downward.
The company lowered its bookings forecast for the fourth quarter to a range of $329.5 million to $335.5 million, below analyst estimates of $343.6 million. Meanwhile, Duolingo also missed on estimates on user growth in the third quarter, ticking up to 50.5 million daily active users against analysts’ estimates of 51.1 million users.
The company noted in a third quarter investor letter that its revenues and daily active users are both up more than 40% since the start of the year.
Shares in Duolingo, which had seen explosive growth through May, are down more than 40% on the year as repeated attempts at an AI pitch have fallen flat with investors.
“We are one of the few companies that has found a way to make profit off of AI. This is actually profitable for us,” CEO Luis von Ahn said to Reuters.
Von Ahn wrote in the third quarter investor letter that “we’re investing proportionally more in teaching better … because we want to keep growing users for a long time, and because of our increasing conviction that AI can fundamentally change what’s possible in how we teach.”
The language-learning platform has been on the back foot ever since a ChatGPT-5 presentation by OpenAI displayed the generative AI software building a language-learning tool from scratch in only minutes.
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Stocks hold flat after the opening bell on Thursday
US stocks fell from early gains in premarket trading to hold roughly flat as concerns about Big Tech and a bearish round of layoff data continued to weigh on markets.
The S&P 500 (^GSPC), the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC), and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) all held roughly flat at the market open as a sell-off in tech stocks eased.
Today’s spotlight will largely focus on Tesla’s (TSLA) shareholder meeting, scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. ET. A vote on Elon Musk’s proposed trillion-dollar pay package is the main event, amid worries he will quit as the EV maker’s CEO if the plan is rejected.
The market action comes as the US government shutdown enters its 37th day, making it the longest in the country’s history. Wall Street is the fallout from the FAA’s decision to cut 10% of flights at 40 airports because of the federal shutdown. Shares in Delta Air Lines (DAL) and Southwest (LUV) continued to gain Thursday morning after putting up more than 5% on Wednesday, while United Airlines (UAL) fell by a bit over 0.6% in the first minutes of Thursday’s session.
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Airlines wobble in early trading on Thursday
Major airline stocks began to pare strong gains made through Wednesday’s trading window after Department of Transportation Sean Duffy said the US would cut down flight capacity by 10% as the government shutdown keeps air traffic control workers without pay.
Shares in Delta Air Lines (DAL) and Southwest Airlines (LUV) fell by more than 0.7% in premarket trading Thursday morning, while United Airlines Holdings (UAL) lost a bit over 1.4%. JetBlue Airways (JBLU) stock fell 0.4%.
All four airlines posted gains of more than 5% on Wednesday.
The directive from the transportation department, which is set to be implemented on Friday, is likely to impact many of the country’s largest airports, according to a proposed list provided to CBS News. The agency is set to publicly announce the markets impacted by the directive on Thursday.
Duffy said Wednesday that international routes would remain unaffected.
The shutdown, now the longest in US history, has roiled airports and left travelers with long lines and delayed flights as air traffic controllers, essential to airport operations, have been left without paychecks. US air carriers were told Wednesday night that they should prepare to cut flights by 4% on Friday and a further 5% on Saturday, according to Bloomberg.
Read more about how the government shutdown is affecting flights here.
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Last month marked worst October for layoffs in more than 20 years: Challenger
Last month was the worst October for layoff announcements since 2003 as companies slashed roles to save money, pared back pandemic-era hires, and planned ahead for artificial intelligence, according to the global outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.
Yahoo Finance’s Emma Ockerman reports:
Read more here.
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Good morning. Here’s what’s happening today.
Economic data: Challenger job cuts (October); Nonfarm productivity (third quarter preliminary reading); Unit labor costs (third quarter preliminary reading); Initial jobless claims (week ended Nov. 1)
Earnings calendar: AstraZeneca (AZN), ConocoPhillips (COP), Airbnb (ABNB), Monster Beverage (MNST), Vistra (VST), EOG Resources (EOG), Datadog (DDOG), Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), Block (XYZ), Wheaton Precious Metals (WPM), Consolidated Edison (ED), Kenvue (KVUE), Expedia Group (EXPE), The Trade Desk (TTD), Tapestry (TPR), Affirm Holdings (AFRM), Ralph Lauren (RL), Evergy (EVRG), Alliant Energy Corporation (LNT), US Food (USFD), News Corp. (NWS), DraftKings (DKNG), Hyatt Hotels (H), Wynn Resorts (WYNN), MP Materials (MP), Texas Roadhouse (TXRH), Moderna (MRNA), Avidity Biosciences (RNA), Dropbox (DBX), Planet Fitness (PLNT), Soundhound AI (SOUN), H&R Block (HRB), Nexstar Media Group (NXST), NuScale Power (SMR), Opendoor Technologies (OPEN), Oscar Health (OSCR), Grindr (GRND), PENN Entertainment (PENN), Warby Parker (WRBY), Hanesbrands (HBI), USA Rare Earth (USAR), Ivanhoe Electric (IE), Under Armour (UAA), Lionsgate Studios (LION)
Here are some of the biggest stories you may have missed overnight and early this morning:
Job cuts in October hit highest level in over 20 years
Modest jobs growth casts doubt on story of the economy
US to cut flights 10% at 40 airports because of shutdown
FAA to slash air traffic as Trump blames shutdown for GOP struggles
Texas gas giant says it’s sitting on ‘holy grail’ for AI power needs
BofA outlines its plans for earnings growth and AI
Moderna stock pops amid cost-cutting efforts
Sparks fly as Tesla’s trillion-dollar day for Musk arrives
Bessent leaves Supreme Court hearing on Trump tariffs ‘optimistic’
Trump to raise SNAP payments after calculation ‘error’
Moderna gains on sharp cost cuts as Covid vaccine declines
Nvidia-backed startup strikes $1.17B AI deal with CoreWeave
China sells $4 billion of dollar bonds as US tensions ease
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AI stock wobble points to US market reliance on tech
US stocks fell sharply early this week amid worries that a boom in AI company valuations could be cooling. Morgan Stanley (MS) and Goldman Sachs (GS) CEO’s warned on Tuesday that stock markets could head toward a correction, fueling growing concerns over sky-high valuations.
“We should welcome the possibility that there would be drawdowns, 10% to 15%, that are not driven by some sort of macro cliff effect,” Morgan Stanley CEO Ted Pick said.
This recent shake to equities came as a reminder that the US stock market relies heavily on tech.
Reuters reports:
Read more here.
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Snap stock soars on Perplexity partnership, revenue and DAU beats
Snap (SNAP) stock soared nearly 20% after the tech company reported a revenue beat, issued a strong forecast, and announced a partnership with Perplexity AI (PEAI.PVT).
As part of that partnership, Perplexity will pay Snap $400 million starting in early 2026 to appear in the Chat interface for Snapchatters worldwide.
“Our goal is to make AI more personal, social, and fun — woven into the fabric of your friendships, Snaps, and conversations,” Snap CEO Evan Spiegel said. “This partnership reflects our shared vision for the power of AI to enhance discovery and connection on Snapchat, and we look forward to collaborating with more innovative partners in the future.”
For the third quarter, the company reported a $0.06 loss per share, versus a $0.12 loss estimated by Wall Street analysts, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence.
Revenue grew 10% year over year to $1.5 billion, compared to $1.49 billion estimated by analysts and $1.34 billion in Q2. It marked a deceleration from the 15.5% annual revenue growth in Q3 2024.
For the fourth quarter, Snap expects sales to be between $1.68 billion and $1.71 billion, also ahead of estimates.
Daily active users (DAU) grew 8% year over-year to 477 million. The company had guided for 476 million in Q3.
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Bank of America outlines plans for earnings growth and AI in first investor day in years
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Premarket trending tickers: Nvidia, Duolingo and DoorDash
Nvidia (NVDA) stock rose 1% on Thursday before the bell. The rise followed CEO Jensen Huang’s comments to the FT, warning that China could win the AI race with the US.
Duolingo (DUOL) stock plunged 24% before the bell after the company’s forecast for the fourth quarter outlined bookings below Wall Street estimates.
DoorDash (DASH) stock plunged in premarket trading on Thursday. Despite the delivery company’s third quarter revenue beating estimates, earnings fell short.
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Marvell rises after report SoftBank weighed potential takeover
Marvell Technology Inc. (MRVL) stock rose 11% before the bell on Thursday following a report that Japanese company Softbank (SFTBY) was weighing a potential takeover of the US chipmaker, according to people familiar with the matter.
Bloomberg News reports:
Read more here.
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Elon Musk’s $1 trillion pay fight — and other things to expect at Thursday’s Tesla shareholder meeting
Tesla holds its 2025 shareholder meeting on Thursday, kicking off at 4 p.m. ET with a lot riding on the vote on CEO Elon Musk’s pay deal.
Yahoo Finance’s Pras Subramanian lays out the high stakes and what to watch:
Read more here.
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Robinhood stock ticks lower as 300% jump in crypto revenue leaves some wanting more
Robinhood (HOOD) shares edged lower in premarket as investors digested the trading platform’s third quarter earnings release.
Yahoo Finance’s Ines Ferré reports:
Read more here.
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Housing issues cause James Hardie shares to plummet
Bloomberg reports:
Read more here.
