Finance

The tech sector experienced significant selling pressure due to growing investor anxiety over immediate returns on heavy artificial intelligence investments. Alphabet and Tesla suffered severe weekly declines after reporting quarterly earnings that highlighted ballooning data center and infrastructure capital expenses. This ongoing skepticism caused a wider technology retreat, pulling down other primary tech companies and adding downward pressure to the market ahead of upcoming earnings reports from additional tech hyperscalers.

Semiconductor equities declined sharply late in the week, heavily weighing on the technology trade. Intel shares plummeted nearly 8% despite releasing overall strong financial results, and component manufacturers Sandisk and Micron Technology sank about 11% and 7% respectively. Consequently, specialized semiconductor exchange-traded funds experienced substantial losses during the final trading sessions.

Global energy markets saw relief at the end of the week as Brent crude futures dropped approximately 4% to settle below $97 a barrel, reversing a previous spike above $100. The sudden pullback followed reports that diplomatic channels, backed by regional intermediaries, are actively looking to resume peace talks between the United States and Iran. The easing of oil costs helped alleviate immediate inflation anxieties and stabilized government bond yields.