US stocks extend decline amid tech sector pressure

US stocks closed lower on Thursday, marking a third consecutive session of losses as continued selling pressure in the technology sector weighed, alongside rising sovereign bond yields following upbeat economic data.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.38% (173 points) to 45,947. The S&P 500 shed 0.50% (33 points) to 6,604, while the Nasdaq Composite dropped 0.50% (113 points) to 22,384.

Oracle shares, which had already entered correction territory in the previous session, slid a further 5.55% to $291.33 amid concerns over valuations and the complexity of its operations following a string of major cloud deals.

The Stoxx Europe 600 lost 0.65% to 550, with most sectors and major exchanges posting losses. Germany’s DAX slipped 0.55% to 23,534, France’s CAC 40 shed 0.40% to 7,795, and the UK’s FTSE 100 retreated 0.40% to 9,213.

In Japan, the Nikkei 225 gained 0.27% to 45,754, while the broader Topix rose 0.47% to 3,185.

As for oil markets, Brent crude futures for November edged up 0.16% to $69.42 a barrel, while US WTI futures dipped slightly by $0.01 to $64.98.

Gold futures for December rose 0.10% (about $3) to $3,771.10 an ounce.

Official data released today showed weekly jobless claims unexpectedly fell to the lowest level since mid-July.

Meanwhile, the US economy grew 3.8% in Q2 2025, revised upward by 0.5 percentage points from the previous estimate.