AI Daily | October 23, 2026 Evening Edition: Meta Plunges 8% as AI Capex Sparks Panic, Nasdaq Posts Biggest Drop in Six Months

Published: 2026-10-23  |  Category: AI Daily  |  Read: about 8 min

Top Stories This Evening

  • Meta's Q3 revenue beat expectations, but the stock plunged 8%: massive AI capital spending triggered market panic, and tech stocks fell across the board
  • Nasdaq posts its biggest one-day drop since June: AMD down over 8%, Nvidia down 4%, and the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index down 6%
  • Jensen Huang responds to the AI-will-destroy-humanity argument: calls it a cheap headline-grabbing gimmick
  • Blackstone's president rebuts the AI bubble theory: says AI demand is growing parabolically and the investment boom is far from peaking
  • Southbound funds keep adding to SenseTime: 159 million shares added over the past 20 trading days, as the AI industry welcomes new opportunities

1. Meta's Q3 Earnings: Revenue Beat Expectations but the Stock Plunged 8% on AI Capex, What Is the Market Afraid Of?

MetaEarningsAI Capex

After the US market close, Meta released its third-quarter 2026 earnings. Although revenue beat market expectations and the company gave optimistic guidance, its ever-rising capital spending on AI infrastructure deeply unsettled investors. The stock plunged more than 8% in regular trading, and its credit risk gauge rose to an all-time high.

  • Meta's Q3 revenue beat expectations, with its advertising business still strong
  • The scale of capex for AI data center construction and compute procurement stunned the market
  • Investors' core concern: when will massive AI spending translate into sustainable returns?
  • Meta's credit risk gauge (CDS) rose to an all-time high

This earnings season centers on two questions: corporate AI spending that keeps soaring, and how to earn returns on those investments. Google parent Alphabet, Microsoft and Amazon are expected to report next week, and the market will be watching their AI capex figures closely.

Market signal: Meta's experience shows that enthusiasm for AI investment is shifting from blind hype to rational scrutiny. Revenue growth is no longer enough, and investors are starting to ask about ROI. This is a warning for every company making large-scale AI investments.

2. Nasdaq Posts Its Biggest Drop Since June: Tech Stocks Hit by Panic Selling Over AI Financing

US StocksNasdaqTech Stocks

On October 23, the three major US stock indexes diverged. The Nasdaq Composite plunged 2.6%, its biggest one-day drop since June. The tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 fell about 2.5%, and the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index plunged more than 6%.

  • AMD fell over 8%, Micron Technology 6% and Nvidia 4%
  • Optical communications, memory chips and semiconductor sectors all fell sharply
  • Among mega-cap tech companies, only Apple held up thanks to stable cash flow
  • AI financing worries combined with rising Middle East tensions sent safe-haven money into US Treasuries

Meanwhile, international oil prices rose sharply. Brent crude futures rose 4% to USD 113.17 a barrel, while WTI crude futures rose 2.39% to USD 99.47 a barrel. US President Trump said on Wednesday evening that something would happen soon, adding to uncertainty in the Middle East.

3. Jensen Huang Responds to AI Could Destroy Humanity: A Cheap Headline-Grabbing Gimmick

Jensen HuangNVIDIAAI Safety

According to Agence France-Presse, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang today publicly responded to recent warnings that artificial intelligence could destroy humanity, calling them a cheap gimmick aimed at grabbing headlines.

  • Huang believes the claim that AI will destroy humanity lacks scientific basis
  • He stressed that the core challenge for AI today is compute infrastructure, not safety risk
  • As CEO of the largest AI chip supplier, Huang's remarks carry weight as an industry bellwether
  • The comments stand in sharp contrast to Anthropic's recent warnings about small models' ability to self-replicate
Editor's note: Huang's remarks represent the position of the upstream AI supply chain: the focus today should be on building infrastructure well, not on excessive anxiety about risks that have yet to arrive. But AI safety advocates such as Anthropic clearly will not agree. This debate is far from over.

4. Blackstone's President Rebuts the AI Bubble Theory: Demand Is Growing Parabolically

BlackstoneAI BubbleInvestment

Jon Gray, president of Blackstone Group, one of the world's largest asset managers, today publicly rebutted billionaire Ken Griffin's claim that AI is a bubble, arguing that AI demand is growing parabolically and that investors need not worry the AI boom will end in a bubble.

  • Gray believes demand for AI compute is real and sustained
  • Unlike the dot-com bubble of 2000, today's AI companies have clear revenue and profits
  • Blackstone continues to increase its investment allocation in AI infrastructure
  • The IMF has also said there is no AI bubble and that compute demand is real

Gray acknowledged, however, that the financing capacity and cost of capital needed to support large-scale infrastructure buildout are becoming important factors affecting tech stock valuations.

5. Southbound Funds Keep Adding to SenseTime: New Opportunities for the AI Industry

SenseTimeSouthbound FundsHong Kong Stocks

According to the latest data from Stockstar, on October 22 southbound funds increased their holdings in SenseTime-W by 15.065 million shares. Over the past five trading days, southbound funds added to their position on three days, for a cumulative net increase of 39.829 million shares; over the past 20 trading days, they added on 13 days, for a total increase of 159 million shares.

  • SenseTime's generative AI business is a growth highlight, with strong demand for large-model training and inference services
  • Continued buying by southbound funds shows investor confidence in domestic Chinese AI companies
  • SenseTime keeps investing in AI infrastructure and large-model R&D
  • The AI industry is moving from concept hype to performance validation

6. STAR Market AI Companies Speak Out: Full Order Books, Improving Outlook

STAR MarketAI ComputeIndustry Chain

On the evening of October 22, several Shanghai STAR Market-listed companies disclosed their third-quarter 2026 reports in a concentrated fashion, sending positive signals about the industry. Yuanjie Technology and Lianxun Instruments both said their production and operations, order delivery and capacity construction were all running normally.

  • The outlook for the AI compute industry chain keeps improving
  • Several companies in electronic materials, consumer culture and other sectors beat expectations
  • As demand for AI compute and high-performance computing explodes, GAA, 3D NAND and 3D DRAM are being adopted faster
  • Etching process complexity and single-wafer equipment usage are rising together, and the global etching equipment market keeps expanding
Industry signal: Although US tech stocks were sold off on AI capex worries, China's AI industry chain presents a very different picture: full order books and a rising outlook. This East rising, West falling pattern deserves continued attention.

7. International Oil Prices Surge: Middle East Tensions Plus Energy Demand for AI Compute

Oil PricesMiddle EastEnergy

Amid geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, international oil prices rose sharply today. Brent crude futures rose 4% to USD 113.17 a barrel, while US WTI crude futures rose 2.39% to USD 99.47 a barrel.

  • People familiar with the matter say the US and Israel plan another military strike on Iran after the midterm elections
  • A deadly attack in Saudi Arabia heightened concerns about oil supply
  • Energy demand from AI data centers is becoming a new supporting factor for oil prices
  • Rising risk aversion pushed US Treasury prices up and yields down

Today's Data at a Glance

EventKey Figure
Meta stock decline-8%
Nasdaq decline-2.6% (biggest since June)
Philadelphia Semiconductor Index decline-6%+
AMD decline-8%+
Nvidia decline-4%
Brent crudeUSD 113.17 per barrel (+4%)
WTI crudeUSD 99.47 per barrel (+2.39%)
Southbound funds' SenseTime stake increase159 million shares over the past 20 days

Sources

  • NetEase Finance: US stocks close mixed on October 23
  • Baidu Baijiahao: Nasdaq posts biggest drop since June as international oil prices surge
  • Zhitong Finance: AI financing worries reignite as Middle East tensions rise
  • Phoenix Finance: US stocks fall across the board late at night
  • Sohu Finance: Southbound funds keep adding to SenseTime-W
  • STAR Market Daily: Tech stocks adjust as STAR Market leaders speak out
  • Sina Tech: Jensen Huang responds to claims that AI could destroy humanity