Beyond The AI Massacre: S&P500 Ex-AI Stocks Head For Best Month Since 2022
The AI trade was crushed Friday morning, with the Nasdaq 100 tumbling 3% and the S&P 500 down 1.5%. Intel suffered its steepest intraday decline on record as AI-led selling deepened this week's tech rout.
GS Broad AI US Index, Goldman Sachs' basket of US-listed stocks exposed to AI, sank 4.7%.
Meanwhile, the equal-weighted S&P 500 gained about 1.2%, a sharp divergence beneath the surface that suggests losses remained heavily concentrated in large-cap tech and AI-related stocks.
The S&P 500's best-performing sector this morning has been consumer staples, up 1.64%, as the index briefly hit a new record ahead of lunchtime in New York.
The S&P 1500 Consumer Staples Index rose as much as 2.3%, giving up some of those gains as 1100 ET approached. Colgate-Palmolive and Mondelez International led the advance.
Colgate-Palmolive rose as much as 5.5% in premarket trading and was up 2.5% in cash session trading after the household and personal care products company's profit and total sales topped Bloomberg consensus estimates. Strong profits and guidance overshadowed a soft but improving US/North America market.
Mondelez International shares were up a little more than 7% ahead of the cash session and were trading about 3% higher ahead of the lunch hour after the snackmaker reported third-quarter earnings that beat expectations, driven by solid volume growth.
More context on consumer staples via UBS Mark Paski:
Consumer Breadth Improving As Ex-AI Stocks Rally
One takeaway is that investors are rotating out of the AI trade and into defensive stocks rather than panic-exiting equities more broadly. The gains in the equal-weighted S&P 500 suggest the average stock is holding up even as AI-related trades get clubbed like a baby seal.
Tyler Durden Fri, 10/30/2026 - 11:55
Continue reading...
[ H/T ZeroHedge ]
The AI trade was crushed Friday morning, with the Nasdaq 100 tumbling 3% and the S&P 500 down 1.5%. Intel suffered its steepest intraday decline on record as AI-led selling deepened this week's tech rout.
GS Broad AI US Index, Goldman Sachs' basket of US-listed stocks exposed to AI, sank 4.7%.
Meanwhile, the equal-weighted S&P 500 gained about 1.2%, a sharp divergence beneath the surface that suggests losses remained heavily concentrated in large-cap tech and AI-related stocks.
The S&P 500's best-performing sector this morning has been consumer staples, up 1.64%, as the index briefly hit a new record ahead of lunchtime in New York.
The S&P 1500 Consumer Staples Index rose as much as 2.3%, giving up some of those gains as 1100 ET approached. Colgate-Palmolive and Mondelez International led the advance.
Colgate-Palmolive rose as much as 5.5% in premarket trading and was up 2.5% in cash session trading after the household and personal care products company's profit and total sales topped Bloomberg consensus estimates. Strong profits and guidance overshadowed a soft but improving US/North America market.
Mondelez International shares were up a little more than 7% ahead of the cash session and were trading about 3% higher ahead of the lunch hour after the snackmaker reported third-quarter earnings that beat expectations, driven by solid volume growth.
More context on consumer staples via UBS Mark Paski:
Consumer Breadth Improving As Ex-AI Stocks Rally
The S&P 500 ex-AI cohort is on track for a 6% monthly gain, its best since the AI trade began gathering momentum in 2022-23, adding to signs that market leadership is broadening as rates move lower and earnings remain resilient. Through the initial portion of 3Q reporting, 78% of companies have beaten consensus EPS estimates, although margins remain a key question for consumer names.
Staples continue to unwind last week's sharp gains, with sellers emerging into strength across the Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLP) and larger options trades going through Friday. Coca-Cola (KO) results could keep a lid on the group today.
Discretionary commentary has been more constructive on demand. Hilton Worldwide (HLT) expects system momentum to continue through the remainder of the year and into 2027, while Royal Caribbean (RCL) said 2027 bookings are pacing ahead of historical levels at higher rates. JetBlue Airways (JBLU) also pointed to September strength carrying into October. The bigger uncertainty remains the bottom line and margins.
Against that backdrop, Monday's price action showed investors returning to several established favorites, with Brinker International (EAT), Ross Stores (ROST), Victoria's Secret (VSXY), Amer Sports (AS), Five Below (FIVE) and Viking Holdings (VIK) notable outperformers. If breadth continues to improve, consumer names with stronger fundamentals could increasingly look ownable beyond the market's recent leadership.
One takeaway is that investors are rotating out of the AI trade and into defensive stocks rather than panic-exiting equities more broadly. The gains in the equal-weighted S&P 500 suggest the average stock is holding up even as AI-related trades get clubbed like a baby seal.
Tyler Durden Fri, 10/30/2026 - 11:55
Continue reading...
[ H/T ZeroHedge ]
