US stocks slipped as a leaked Anthropic (ANTH.PVT) IPO prospectus and scrapped OpenAI (OPAI.PVT) next-generation model raised more questions about the AI trade, while geopolitical tensions continued to support higher oil and bond prices.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) fell 0.5%, while the S&P 500 (^GSPC) declined by 0.3%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) dipped by 0.2%.
AMD (AMD) stock rose after the Lisa Su-led company acquired Fei-Fei Li’s AI model startup World Labs for $8.2 billion in a deal viewed as a talent and AI insights play.
The AI trade held investors’ attention on Tuesday after a Reuters report detailed a leaked Anthropic IPO prospectus, revealing that the AI lab is targeting a $2 trillion valuation and warning that AI could pose “existential risks to humanity.” Anthropic has not yet made an official filing public.
At the same time, rival startup OpenAI shelved its frontier AI model due to safety concerns that emerged during internal testing.
Much of the AI boom is riding on Anthropic and OpenAI making their public debuts. Earlier Tuesday, investors got a fresh look at IPO market conditions, which aren’t improving as bond yields surge. Health tech startup Oura has shelved its planned IPO for today, “due to uncertainty.”
Oil prices, meanwhile, slipped as Saudi Arabia resumed exports through its East-West pipeline and US and Iranian officials met with mediators to resume disjointed talks. Brent crude oil futures (BZ=F), the global benchmark, hovered near $96 per barrel, while WTI crude futures (CL=F) traded at $91 per barrel.
Economic data released Tuesday morning offered a more dour outlook on the US economy ahead of Friday’s jobs report, as a reading of consumer confidence fell to its lowest level since 2014.
In the labor market, job openings fell to 7.097 million in August, falling below economists’ expectations of 7.228 million openings and the previous month’s revised total of 7.335 million.
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