U.S. Stocks Suffer Sharp Sell-Off as October Ends on a Weak Note

U.S. stocks tumbled to end the month as technology shares came under heavy selling pressure, bringing a volatile month to a difficult close.

Traders monitor market movements as U.S. stocks fall sharply on October 30, 2026, ending the month with significant losses in major technology indexes. [Photo: Nasdaq X]

The Nasdaq Composite fell approximately 2.9%, while the S&P 500 declined 1.8%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost about 570 points, or 1.1%.

Technology stocks were among the biggest decliners.

Intel suffered a particularly steep drop, while concerns about the outlook for major technology companies and the substantial investments required to develop artificial intelligence infrastructure weighed on investor sentiment.

For the month, the Dow gained approximately 1.5%, but the Nasdaq lost 5.2% and the S&P 500 declined 1.2%.

The sell-off also came amid renewed attention to energy prices.

ExxonMobil and Chevron briefly reached record highs as oil prices climbed, with geopolitical developments contributing to concerns about supply and market volatility.