Stock Market Close (Nov. 5, 2026): S&P 500 Drops 4.4%, Dow Loses 1,833
The S&P 500 fell 4.4% to 7,353.73 on Thursday, its worst day since April 2025, as chip stocks crashed. The Nasdaq sank 5.5% and the Dow lost 1,833 points.
Wall Street had its worst day in more than a year and a half on Thursday, November 5, 2026. The S&P 500 fell 4.4% to 7,353.73, its steepest drop since the April 2025 tariff shock, according to the Associated Press. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 1,833.06 points and the Nasdaq Composite tumbled 5.5%.
The selloff wiped out Wednesday's post-election rally, which had been the S&P 500's best day in three months, the AP said. Earlier in the day we covered how the decline started in our chip selloff story.
Closing numbers
Index | Close | Points | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
S&P 500 | 7,353.73 | −334.89 | −4.4% |
Dow Jones Industrial Average | 51,523.06 | −1,833.06 | −3.4% |
Nasdaq Composite | 24,315.00 | −1,421.52 | −5.5% |
Russell 2000 | 2,729.89 | −127.06 | −4.4% |
Source: AP, closing figures for Thursday, November 5, 2026.
The week and the year so far
Thursday's drop pushed every major index into the red for the week. The year-to-date gains are still intact, though smaller.
Index | Week to date | Year to date |
|---|---|---|
S&P 500 | −3.0% | +7.4% |
Dow | −0.5% | +7.2% |
Nasdaq | −4.4% | +4.6% |
Russell 2000 | −2.9% | +10.0% |
Source: AP.
Chips led the way down
The PHLX Semiconductor Index closed at 9,011.14, down 12.25%, according to Yahoo Finance quote data. Nvidia, Micron and AMD were among the big decliners, and Tesla and SpaceX also fell sharply on regulatory worries, Yahoo Finance reported. The Nasdaq ended the day in correction territory, meaning at least 10% below its recent high.
The AP linked the slide to a selloff in AI data-center stocks and to concerns that lawmakers could push for limits on new data centers after Democrats' gains in the midterm elections. Yahoo Finance also pointed to hedge funds and other big investors cashing in profits on this year's AI winners.
Small investors joined the selling. Retail traders sold a net $358 million of U.S. stocks as of 2:58 p.m. ET, the most since March 17, 2020, according to Vanda Research data cited by Yahoo Finance.
Other markets
Quotes shown on Yahoo Finance after the close (times not stated, so treat them as approximate):
- Fear gauge: the Cboe Volatility Index (VIX) was at 28.18, up about 70%.
- Bonds: the 10-year Treasury yield was 4.837%, down from the prior day.
- Bitcoin: about $76,115, down 5.4%. See our bitcoin story.
- Oil: December U.S. crude was $91.28 a barrel, up 0.8%.
What it means for you
A 4% one-day drop is rare and stressful, but a single session says little about where a diversified portfolio will be in five or ten years. If you own an S&P 500 index fund, check how much of it sits in a handful of tech names; our guide to what market cap means explains why the biggest companies move the index most. New investors can also read what an ETF is before reacting to headlines.
This article is for information only and is not investment advice.
Sources
This article is for information only and is not investment advice. Do your own research before buying or selling any asset.