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Big tech's AI buildout is reshaping industrial America in a way that goes far beyond semiconductors. Analysts now put capital expenditure on AI data centers at seven hundred thirty five billion dollars heading into two thousand twenty six, and the companies collecting those checks aren't chipmakers — they're the heavy equipment, power generation, and electrical infrastructure names that keep those facilities running.
Shifting to energy markets, crude oil pushed to a four-week high on Wednesday as Middle East tensions kept a bid under the September West Texas Intermediate contract, which settled up roughly one percent. A sharp drop in the dollar index to a two-and-a-half-month low added fuel to the move, though RBOB gasoline actually finished lower on the session, leaving the complex with a mixed but broadly supportive tone.
And in the technology space, OpenAI confirmed widespread outages on ChatGPT Wednesday, with users hitting authentication key errors on both logins and signups. The company acknowledged the failures publicly, though no timeline for a full resolution was immediately provided — a notable stumble for a platform that now sits at the center of enterprise and consumer AI workflows globally.
That's the tape. Markets Desk, signing off the floor.
