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September 14, 2026 - 11:49
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(Bloomberg) — Equities fell around the world after leaders of the biggest artificial-intelligence firms proposed slowing the technology’s development, with an advance in oil prices sapping risk sentiment further.Nasdaq 100 futures sank 1.8%. An exchange-traded fund tracking key chip stocks dropped 4.7% in early trading as traders fretted that efforts to rein in AI could weigh on the boom driving hundreds of billions of dollars in capital spending. OpenAI backer SoftBank Group Corp. slid the most in nearly three months, while South Korea’s Kospi index dropped 3.3%. S&P 500 contracts were down 0.8%.“There was a bit of irrational exuberance in the middle of the summer that’s been unwound,” said Chris Armstrong at Berenberg. “This is, I think, another leg bringing down expectations.”Further disruptions to crude supplies from the Middle East added to the downbeat mood. Brent jumped 2.5% to top $107 a barrel after Saudi Arabia closed its East-West pipeline as a precaution following attacks. The dollar rose 0.4%. Treasuries were mixed as money markets saw a nearly 90% chance of a Federal Reserve rate increase on Wednesday.“Two unwelcome headwinds collide,” said Tim Waterer, chief market analyst for KCM Trade. “Warnings that AI development needs to slow down, combined with another leg higher in oil prices after the Saudi East-West pipeline closure, are a difficult mix for risk assets.”Anthropic PBC Chief Executive Officer Dario Amodei said Saturday that the company would introduce fresh safeguards as he urged the industry to slow the development of its most advanced models. OpenAI’s Sam Altman backed the proposal, while xAI’s Elon Musk said “Dario is right.”Questions remain over how committed AI leaders will be to moderate the pace of development, given intense competition from China. President Donald Trump downplayed the concerns, while China dismissed them as “fearmongering.”“Having guardrails would help steer the direction of AI development, but we do not think it is going to slow it down,” noted Mohit Kumar at Jefferies. “The direction of travel, in our view, would still remain forward.”In Europe, the Stoxx 600 fell 0.3%. The region’s bonds underperformed as higher oil and gas prices worsened the inflation outlook. The yield on two-year UK gilts jumped six basis points to 4.87%. The euro fell to a one-month low against the dollar.The selloff in tech stocks comes at the start of a week in which both the Fed and Bank of Japan face pressure to raise rates as policymakers meet Wednesday and Friday, respectively, against a backdrop of mounting inflation risks. While a Bank of England hike on Thursday isn’t anticipated, the prospect of a shift toward an increase in November remains on the cards.Corporate Highlights:Anthropic PBC has picked Nasdaq as its listing venue ahead of a potential record-setting initial public offering, according to a person familiar with the matter. The firm told a group of shareholders it will report an adjusted operating profit this quarter, the Financial Times reported. OpenAI won’t go public this year as the artificial intelligence company focuses on addressing safety-related concerns around the technology, CEO Altman told Fortune in an interview. Some of the main moves in markets:StocksThe Stoxx Europe 600 fell 0.3% as of 10:42 a.m. London time S&P 500 futures fell 0.8% Nasdaq 100 futures fell 1.8% Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.3% The MSCI Asia Pacific Index fell 0.8% The MSCI Emerging Markets Index fell 1.2% CurrenciesThe Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index rose 0.3% The euro fell 0.5% to $1.1544 The Japanese yen fell 0.6% to 154.46 per dollar The offshore yuan was little changed at 6.7090 per dollar The British pound fell 0.3% to $1.3487 CryptocurrenciesBitcoin rose 0.7% to $77,891.04 Ether rose 0.4% to $2,522.55 BondsThe yield on 10-year Treasuries declined one basis point to 4.95% Germany’s 10-year yield advanced two basis points to 3.52% Britain’s 10-year yield advanced two basis points to 5.36% CommoditiesBrent crude rose 2.5% to $107.27 a barrel Spot gold fell 1.5% to $4,285.37 an ounce This story was produced with the assistance of Bloomberg Automation.©2026 Bloomberg L.P.
