CrowdStrike CEO's alarming prediction -- plus, the sell-off spreads beyond tech

Stocks slid beyond tech as broader defensive weakness hit major indexes, with the Dow down more than 1% on Friday. While cybersecurity and chip names like Micron and Intel held up, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq still finished lower. Energy was the standout sector as oil prices surged on Middle East tensions: West Texas Intermediate rose above $103 a barrel and Brent topped $116 for a six-month high. That, along with hotter government price data, kept inflation fears in focus ahead of the Federal Reserve meeting. CME FedWatch put the odds of a Wednesday hike at just over 10%, while a December increase was near 78%. CrowdStrike and Palo Alto Networks were highlighted as researchers showed AI could exploit long-known PHP vulnerabilities.