US stock exchanges are closing Tuesday lower, in a session marked by heavy profit-taking in semiconductor companies and a surge in oil. The move reduced appetite for assets linked to artificial intelligence, while investors shifted to sectors considered more defensive.
The Nasdaq Composite led the day's losses by falling 1,16%, to 25.818,69 points. The S&P 500 fell 0,45%, closing at 7.503,85 points, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 0,25%, ending at 52.925,15 points. The Russell 2000, which brings together lower-capitalization companies, fell 0,90%, to 2.982,49 points, showing that selling pressure affected different market segments.
The volatility index VIX, known as the "fear index" of Wall Street, rose 3,47%, to 16,11 points, indicating greater demand for protection among investors.
In the commodities market, oil was one of the main highlights. The WTI contract for August 2026 jumped 5%, closing at US$ 71,98 per barrel, driven by rising tensions in the Middle East. Meanwhile, gold lost momentum and closed at US$ 4.120,80, down 1,12%, reflecting profit-taking in the precious metal.
Meanwhile, the Bitcoin (BTC) performed well and reached up close to US$ 64.000 thousand dollars but fell during the end of trading on US stock exchanges. The market’s leading cryptocurrency corrected to US$ 63.693,56, recording a slight drop of 0,14%, a move that drew attention amid the volatility seen in US markets.
The main focus of the selling was on semiconductor manufacturers. Companies like Micron, KLA, Marvell Technology, Broadcom and AMD recorded significant losses throughout the session. The ETF VanEck Semiconductor (SMH) also followed the move and accumulated a drop of more than 5%, expanding the correction in the artificial intelligence sector.
According to Mike Bailey, director of research at FBB Capital Partners, the market is facing a moment in which investors' expectations exceed companies' ability to deliver results.
“Expectations are high, and the fundamentals are struggling to meet these extremely high demands, and that is what is driving the current decline,” said Mike Bailey, director of research at FBB Capital Partners. “I would expect the rotations we’ve been seeing to continue.”
While the chip companies pulled back, investors directed resources to sectors that are traditionally considered more defensive. Shares of Eli Lilly, JPMorgan Chase, Microsoft and Walmart closed the session higher. In the case of the retailer, performance was boosted by the announcement of price cuts across various products, including ground beef and soft drinks.
The rise in oil prices also contributed to a cautious mood. Prices advanced after reports that Iran attacked a liquefied natural gas tanker from Qatar near the Strait of Hormuz. The move gained even more momentum after the United States revoked the authorization that allowed the sale of Iranian oil, raising concerns about the global supply of the commodity.
Pressure on the artificial intelligence sector began even during the early hours in Asian markets. The index Kospi, in South Korea, fell nearly 5%, following the decline of approximately 7% in the shares of Samsung Electronics. Although the company reported strong growth in second-quarter profit, investors showed concern about the pace of future demand for memory chips.
In Europe, the index Stoxx 600 also ended the day down 0.5%, reinforcing the global trend of profit-taking among technology companies.
Adam Crisafulli, from Vital Knowledge, said the next earnings season could test the market’s high level of expectations.
“The reaction to Samsung reveals one of the biggest risks that markets will face in the coming weeks: the second-quarter results will likely be quite robust in absolute terms... but, unlike what happened in the first quarter, expectations are currently very optimistic (and the S&P 500 is about 1,000 points above where it was before the release of first-quarter results), which means the bar is set quite high”.
Another factor that influenced investor sentiment was the information that DeepSeek is developing its own chip for artificial intelligence. If the initiative moves forward, the company could reduce its dependence on suppliers such as Nvidia and Samsung, increasing competition in the semiconductor market.
Meanwhile, the SpaceX fell by about 6% after entering the index Nasdaq-100, even after receiving positive recommendations from several Wall Street financial institutions. The performance reinforced investors' caution toward companies linked to the artificial intelligence segment, even in the face of optimistic outlooks for the sector.