US midterms live: Nasdaq plunges 5.5% on AI regulation fears

American benchmarks suffer biggest drop since April 2025 WASHINGTON/NEW YORK -- The opposition Democratic Party has won control of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, according to media projections, capitalizing on widespread voter discontent over Republican President Donald Trump's policies on inflation, tariffs, AI data centers and the Iran war. In the weeks leading up to the Nov. 3 midterm elections, forecasters overwhelmingly favored the Democrats to retake the House, while the battle to regain control of the Senate was expected to be much closer. However, only hours after polls closed, Democrats flipped Republican-held Senate seats in North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Texas, Kansas and Iowa, according to The Associated Press, clearing the key 51-seat threshold in the 100-seat chamber. The AP called the House for the Democrats later in the night, after the party surpassed 218 seats. In 2024 and 2022, the AP did not call control of the House until eight days after Election Day. Readers can follow Nikkei Asia's live coverage and analysis of the midterm elections atasia.nikkei.com. 4:20 p.m.U.S. stocks sold off sharply Wednesday as investors grew increasingly concerned that Democratic gains in the midterm elections could lead to tighter restrictions on data center development. The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite tumbled 5.5% to a six-month low, while the Dow fell more than 1,800 points, or 3%, and the S&P 500 lost 4%. All three stock benchmarks recorded the largest single-day drop since April 2025. AI-related stocks led the rout. Nvidia fell as much as 9%, while AMD, Micron and other semiconductor stocks posted steep losses. The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index dropped as much as 12%, its biggest decline since March 2020, with all 30 components falling. CoreWeave slid about 10% and Dell Technologies dropped 12%, while data center-related companies including Vertiv, GE Vernova and Corning also fell sharply. The sell-off came a day after U.S. stocks rallied following President Donald Trump’s acknowledgment of the election defeat. Investors are now focusing on the prospect of tougher data center rules after Democrats won gubernatorial races in states including Texas and Georgia. 11:55 a.m.The Nasdaq composite's loss extended to 5.7% at one point in the morning on Thursday. 10:20 a.m.The Nasdaq composite fell as much as 4% on Thursday, reversing the previous day's post-midterms rally as investors sold semiconductor and artificial intelligence-related stocks. Micron was down 12% shortly after 10 a.m. in New York, while Nvidia fell 7%. The sell-off came amid concerns that Democratic control of Congress could lead to tighter regulation of AI-related industries. The decline spilled over into Asian markets, with Nikkei Stock Average futures briefly falling below the psychologically important 60,000 level in Chicago, dropping to around 59,300. The Nikkei average had already closed Thursday at 61,077, down 1,110 points. 1:26 a.m.Toyota Motor executives say uncertainty remains over whether Democrats taking control of Congress will lead to a shift in U.S. policy. Asked about the election results, Hiroyuki Ueda, chief officer for the external & public affairs group, said, "It is a big change and will have a huge impact." Toyota last year announced $10 billion in additional U.S. investment over five years. Ueda added, "Our top priority is our customers. Even if administrations or policies change, we want to continue making and delivering cars that our customers will want to buy." 11:40 p.m.Japanese and South Koreanstock markets fell, with tech shares under pressure after the Democrats' emphatic victory in the midterm elections stoked expectations of tighter scrutiny in the artificial intelligence sector. Japan's benchmark Nikkei Stock Average opened higher -- at one point rising over 400 points, or 0.7% -- before reversing course to fall over 1%. The blue-chip gauge was dragged lower by AI-related stocks, including memory maker Kioxia Holdings, which was down around 9%. South Korea's KOSPI at one point dropped around 5%, led by a 9% plunge in index heavyweight SK Hynix and a 7% decline in Samsung Electronics. Taiwan's Taiex, which is heavily influenced by the shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., was down over 2%. 4:15 p.m.U.S. stocks surged on Wednesday after President Donald Trump signaled a willingness to work with Democrats, easing fears of political turmoil. The Dow jumped more than 1,500 points, or 3%, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq composite gained more than 1%. Oil prices fell as investors bet the shift in political power could hasten an end to the Iran war. Stocks had fallen sharply overnight after stronger-than-expected Democratic gains, including gubernatorial victories in data center-heavy Texas and Georgia, raised concerns about tighter restrictions on AI infrastructure. Markets reversed after Trump said he expected to work well with Democrats. Amazon and Microsoft rallied on expectations that restrictions on new data centers could benefit tech giants with existing computing capacity. Nvidia, CoreWeave and some power producers fell. Defense stocks including Northrop Grumman, RTX and Lockheed Martin also declined, while solar and clean-energy shares rose as investors weighed the implications of a Democratic-controlled Congress. 1:45 p.m.President Donald Trump said the war with Iran was worth fighting despite acknowledging its role in the heavy midterm losses by his Republican Party. "The Iran thing we had to do, and we continue to do it," Trump told reporters, saying the conflict was necessary to prevent Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. "As far as that war is concerned, I would have done nothing different," he said. Trump also said he was "fine" with Vice President JD Vance's earlier social media post blaming the Republican defeat on the war. The president maintained that Republicans would have won had he himself been on the ballot but said enthusiasm for him at his rallies could not be transferred to other Republican candidates. 11:50 a.m.Vice President JD Vance blamed Republicans' heavy midterm losses on the U.S. war with Iran, saying GOP voters turned out but that many who backed Vance and President Donald Trump in 2024 switched to Democrats. "The reason we lost is the war," Vance said in a lengthy post on X. "Everyone knows why we lost. And any honest conversation about where we go from here must start there." Vance said Republican data showed turnout itself was not the main problem. He cited polling that found former Trump voters who abandoned the party primarily wanted to end the war, address the cost of living and inflation, put "America First" and change the U.S. relationship with Israel. 9:45 a.m.U.S. stocks opened sharply higher Wednesday after the Democratic Party regained control of both houses of Congress in Tuesday's midterm elections. Though President Donald Trump's Republicans lost control of Congress, potentially constraining his agenda for the remaining two years of his term, his stated willingness to work with Democrats eased concerns about political gridlock. The Dow Jones Industrial Average opened nearly 2% higher, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq composite both gained more than 1%. But some concerns remained that Democratic control of Congress could bring tighter regulation of artificial intelligence and data centers. 2:40 a.m.Democrat Abdul el-Sayed has won his Senate race in Michigan, defeating Republican Mike Rogers, according to The Associated Press and other outlets, which note that he is the first Muslim elected to the chamber. 2:15 a.m.A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson says the midterm results are an internal affair of the U.S., but that Beijing is willing to strengthen communication with Washington. 1:35 a.m.Democrats have won the House as well, according to The Associated Press, securing control of both chambers of Congress. This leaves Trump facing a daunting final two years of his presiden