It was a bloodbath on Wall Street Thursday, with stocks selling off sharply as market participants took profits on several of this year's biggest gainers. By the time the dust settled, the Nasdaq Composite had suffered its biggest one-day percentage drop since the April 2025 tariff tantrum. Meanwhile, the Cboe Volatility Index ( VIX ), also known as the market's "fear gauge," hit its highest point since March.

At the close, the tech-heavy Nasdaq was down 5.5% at 24,315 — in correction territory , or more than 10% below its most recent high of 27,599.79 from October 6. The blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average surrendered 3.4% to 51,523 and the broader S&P 500 plummeted 4.4% to 7,353.

All 11 S&P 500 sectors closed lower today, with technology by far the biggest decliner.…