AI Eats its Own

Thursday 29th October 2026

NAB Markets Research Disclaimer Financial Services Guide | Information on our services - NAB

Phil and NAB’s Gavin Friend explore a risk-off session across equity markets triggered by a fresh wave of artificial intelligence anxiety following Alphabet’s quarterly earnings. Alphabet tumbled nearly 13%—marking one of the largest single-day market-cap wipeouts on record—as investors grew alarmed by ballooning AI capital expenditure running alongside signs that conversational AI search tools are beginning to cannibalise its core advertising revenue. The resulting tech sell-off pulled the Nasdaq down 1.5% and overshadowed otherwise robust US macroeconomic data, which saw Q3 GDP beat expectations at an annualised 3.4% and personal consumption rise 3.8% despite core PCE edging up to 3.1%. In Europe, the ECB held its policy rates steady as expected, but Christine Lagarde was sounding hawkish in the press conference, as well as announcing he will step down early as ECB President in February 2027 to freely voice her views on broader European issues, including the French debt crisis. Meanwhile, bond yields edged lower in safe-haven trades, oil prices retreated below US$115 per barrel for Brent, and the Australian dollar slipped back towards 70.3 US cents as markets await the Bank of Japan's rate decision. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.