AI and chip stocks tumble as weekend warnings challenge the sector’s growth assumptionsTrump: AI will be the greatest economic development engine in historyUS seeks “step-by-step” agreement with Iran citing Pakistani sourcesTrump: Military conflict with Iran "will not be long"Zelensky says Trump's deal to stop energy strikes is just a proposalTrump: Ukraine and Russia have agreed not to hit energy targetsIs Institutional Money Rotating From Bitcoin to Ethereum?US 10-year yield hits 5% for the first time since 2023Crude oil Analysis: Technicals and the fundamentals are in synch. Move higher nears $105Saudi east-west pipeline will be out of service for 3-5 weeks - reportCanada August CPI 3.0% y/y vs 3.0% expectedMorning Kickstart: Central-bank week begins with the USD higher and stocks under pressureinvestingLive European markets wrap: Oil surges, Fed rate hike bets rise as AI fears hit stocksThe trading week began with several significant market themes competing for traders’ attention: crude oil running up to near $105 rising. Treasury yields with the 10 year reaching above 5.0% (it reached 5.01%). Renewed selling in AI-related shares and continued uncertainty surrounding the Middle East. Not a good BINGO card. The USD finished higher against all the major currencies. Its largest gains came against the NZD and JPY, while its smallest advances were against the GBP and CHF.The percentage changes of the USD against the major currencies were:NZD: +0.69%JPY: +0.54%EUR: +0.45%AUD: +0.43%CAD: +0.25%GBP: +0.16%CHF: +0.16%The greenback benefited from higher Treasury yields and a risk-off tone in equities (probably because yields were going higher). With the market now pricing in 100% for the Fed on Wednesday, and the 10 year yield moving to 5% maybe the cat is now fully out of the bag (i.e. it is all priced in). However, what is Fed Chair Warsh and the Fed members are thinking for the rest of the meetings in 2026 in October and December remains the wild card. Having said that, the secondary impact from higher oil prices can lead to more cost/push inflation. Treasury yields move higherTreasury yields rose across most of the curve, led by the intermediate maturities:2-year yield: 4.6621%, +1.8 basis points5-year yield: 4.8257%, +3.5 basis points10-year yield: 4.9936%, +1.9 basis points. 30-year yield: 5.3543%, little changedToday, the 10-year Treasury yield' move above 5% was last accomplished intraday on October 23, 2023, when it reached approximately 5.02%.U.S. stocks close lower as AI shares tumbleThe major U.S. indices finished lower, but the relatively modest index declines did not tell the entire story. Selling was much more severe in semiconductor, networking and data-center-related companies.Dow industrial average: -0.29%S&P 500: -0.48%Nasdaq Composite: -0.56%Russell 2000: -0.40%Nasdaq 100: approximately -0.8%Some of the largest individual declines included:Corning: -13.70%Astera Labs: -11.74%Lumentum: -9.92%Arm Holdings: -9.74%GE Vernova: -8.62%Ciena: -8.55%Super Micro Computer: -8.38%Lam Research: -8.29%Credo Technology: -7.94%Vertiv: -7.65%SK Hynix: -7.60%Eaton: -7.57%Monolithic Power Systems: -7.39%Marvell Technology: -7.32%ASML: -7.25%Applied Materials: -7.07%The weekend’s AI news about slowing down the progress, intensified questions about the enormous amount of capital flowing into chips, data centers and related infrastructure. President Trump reiterated his support for maintaining U.S. leadership in artificial intelligence (China will do it if we do now), but that longer-term bullish argument was not enough to offset today’s concerns about valuations, competition and prospective returns on AI spending.For investors, the lesson is that the performance of the major indices can sometimes hide considerable weakness beneath the surface. The Nasdaq Composite declined only 0.56%, but many of the companies most closely connected to the AI buildout suffered losses of 7% or more.European indices finish mostly lowerEuropean shares also came under pressure, although the U.K. FTSE 100 managed to close higher:German DAX: -0.50%France CAC: -0.76%U.K. FTSE 100: +0.44%Spain Ibex: -1.38%Italy FTSE MIB: -1.68%Crude oil holds above $100Crude oil rose $1.81, or 1.81%, to $101.86.Developments surrounding a possible preliminary agreement involving the United States, Iran and Oman offered some hope that tensions affecting the Strait of Hormuz could eventually ease. However, there was still no completed agreement, while threats and broader regional risks remained.As a result, traders were unwilling to remove the geopolitical premium from oil. The market continues to balance the possibility of diplomatic progress against the risk of prolonged shipping disruptions and reduced export flexibility in the region.Higher oil prices also have implications beyond the energy market. If crude remains above $100, it can lift transportation and production costs, complicate the inflation outlook and limit the Fed’s ability to lower interest rates.Gold and silver move lowerGold fell $50.90, or 1.17%, to $4,296.80. Silver declined $1.2849, or 1.99%, to $63.17.Gold moved as it normally should in response to today’s broader market forces. The USD strengthened and Treasury yields moved higher, increasing the opportunity cost of holding a non-yielding asset. Gold nevertheless remained close to the important $4,300 area as geopolitical uncertainty continued to provide underlying support.Silver underperformed gold, consistent with the selling in copper and concerns about the industrial side of the global economy.Copper fell 2.34% to $6.3950.Bitcoin moves against the broader market toneBitcoin rose $2,641, or 3.44%, to $79,450.The gain stood out because it came despite a stronger USD, higher Treasury yields and weakness in technology shares. Bitcoin did not trade as a conventional risk asset today.That relative strength is encouraging for cryptocurrency buyers, but one day does not establish a lasting separation from equities and interest-rate expectations. Traders will be watching whether Bitcoin can sustain the move as the central-bank decisions unfold this week (maybe it is an asset alternative). The technical picture is more positive on a move above the 100 and 200 hour MAs. .Overall, Monday’s markets were driven by four interconnected themes: oil above $100 and reaching nearly $105, higher yields the 10 year trading above 5%, a stronger USD and a sharp reassessment of AI-related stocks. The major indices declined moderately, but the losses underneath the surface showed that investors were taking a much harder look at the most highly valued parts of the AI trade. This article was written by Greg Michalowski at investinglive.com.