Dow, S&P 500, Nasdaq Drop on AI Disruption Fears; Gold, Bitcoin Fall

Thursday, February 12, 2026: U.S. equities fell sharply as AI-driven disruption concerns drive outflow from technology shares. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) declined 1.3% (-650 points), the S&P 500 (^GSPC) lost 1.6%, and the Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) fell over 2%. Gold (GC=F) futures dropped 3%, and bitcoin (BTC-USD) reached about $65,000. Trucking, logistics, and real estate services sectors were among those hit, with fears of automation affecting those industries. Cisco Systems (CSCO) fell over 12% on a cautious profit outlook despite higher sales; Nvidia (NVDA) also declined. Meta (META), Amazon (AMZN), Apple (AAPL) and others posted notable declines, with Apple down about 5%. Looking ahead to Friday’s CPI report, a softer reading would support easing inflation expectations while growth remains strong. The prior week’s jobless claims showed smaller-than-expected declines, and January nonfarm-payrolls added roughly twice as many jobs as forecast, reducing near-term rate-cut odds and weighing on equities. McDonald’s (MCD) shares rose on better-than-expected earnings. Coinbase (COIN), Applied Materials (AMAT), and Rivian (RIVN) are scheduled to report after the market.