Berlin – November 06, 2026 -- Shares of companies tied to the artificial intelligence boom fell on the Nasdaq and on major Asian and European exchanges after the US midterm elections, and South Korea temporarily suspended stock trading because of the losses, according to a commentary in German daily nd.DerTag.
Korea's state-backed AI buildout meets a trading halt
South Korea's government is betting heavily on expanding AI infrastructure. The sell-off there was severe enough to interrupt exchange trading.
Investors bet Democratic win will slow AI expansion
The commentary says investors are speculating that the Democratic victory will halt the AI buildout, and it questions whether that is realistic. It attributes the sharp reaction mainly to nervousness after steep tech-sector price gains in recent months.
Industry observers have long warned that planned AI infrastructure expansion far exceeds actual demand, the commentary notes. It adds that financing for the investments is becoming harder as lenders grow more aware of the risk. Local opposition to data centers is also rising because of their energy and water consumption.
Broad indices fall despite relief for traditional industry
Many investors welcome the election outcome, the commentary says. Industry outside the US could benefit if President Donald Trump can no longer easily disrupt goods trade with erratic tariff decisions.
The indices still fell overall, which shows how heavily markets now depend on AI and on a few very large digital and chip companies. Analysts describe this as cluster risk.
The author expects AI buildout in the US to be scaled back to a normal level. The commentary calls the resulting end of speculative excess in share prices a healthy correction that would lower the risk of a major financial crash.