This article discusses the significant decline in software stocks in 2026, driven by the rise of AI that threatens traditional SaaS business models. It highlights how AI's ability to democratize coding and automate workflows is reshaping the market, leaving only companies with strong network effects or proprietary data likely to survive.

Investors are anxious that advancements in AI could disrupt the software market, leading to significant stock declines for companies like Adobe and PayPal. On a single day, software and data stocks lost about $300 billion in value as traders reacted to new AI tools from Anthropic that automate tasks traditionally done by software.