01:56 PM EST, 11/04/2025 (MT Newswires) -- US benchmark equity indexes fell after midday Tuesday as warnings of a correction from major Wall Street banks coincided with valuation concerns surrounding Palantir Technologies ( PLTR ) , halting the so-called AI trade.

The Nasdaq Composite dropped 1.6% to 23,455.6, with the S&P 500 down 1.1% to 6,778.5, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average 0.6% lower at 47,039.1. Technology, communication services, and consumer discretionary led the decliners intraday.

Wedbush Securities maintained its outperform rating on Palantir's ( PLTR ) stock following market-beating Q3 results overnight, viewing it as "one of the (artificial intelligence) tech stalwarts over the next decade," according to a Tuesday client note. The company's price-to-sales ratio is estimated to be 85, as per a Bloomberg TV report. Shares of Palantir ( PLTR ) dropped 8.4% intraday, the steepest decline on the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq.

Investors "should welcome the possibility that there would be drawdowns, 10% to 15%, that are not driven by some macro cliff effect," Reuters reported Morgan Stanley Chief Executive Ted Pick as saying at the Global Financial Leaders' Investment Summit in Hong Kong.

"When you have these cycles, things can run for a period of time," Goldman Chief Executive David Solomon was cited as saying in the news report. "But there are things that will change sentiment and will create drawdowns, or change the perspective on the growth trajectory, and none of us are smart enough to see them until they actually occur."

The Global X Artificial Intelligence & Technology ETF ( AIQ ) , with net assets of $5.98 billion, dropped 3.3% as investors reduced exposure to artificial intelligence plays.

"Investors questioned lofty valuations in the technology sector after major Wall Street banks warned of a possible selloff and Palantir's ( PLTR ) subdued sales forecast dampened sentiment around artificial intelligence plays," a research note from D.A. Davidson said early Tuesday.

For 2025, Palantir ( PLTR ) expects revenue of $4.396 billion to $4.400 billion, compared with its previously set guidance of $4.14 billion to $4.15 billion and market expectations of $4.14 billion.

The CBOE Volatility Index, also known as the fear gauge, soared 11% to 19.10.

Meanwhile, Tesla's (TSLA) shares fell 4.3% after Reuters reported sales of its electric vehicles produced in China slumped 9.9% year-over-year in October, following a 2.8% increase in September. Further, Tesla shareholder Norges Bank Investment Management voted against the proposed $1 trillion compensation package for the electric vehicle manufacturer's chief executive, Elon Musk.

In economic news, the first look at consumer confidence for November showed a decline from October, with the RealClearMarkets' monthly index decreasing to 43.9 from 48.3.

US Treasury yields fell, with the 10-year yield down two basis points to 4.09% and the two-year rate also lower by two basis points to 3.58%.

Gold futures dropped 1.3% to $3,961.01 per ounce, and silver futures retreated 1.6% to $47.27.

West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures slid 0.7% to $60.63 a barrel.