Investing.com - Australian shares are predicted to climb on Friday, as US inflation data triggered a significant sell-off among the major tech behemoths overnight.
The NASDAQ Composite and S&P 500 experienced sharp declines after June's consumer price index (CPI) data suggested a high likelihood of the Federal Reserve reducing interest rates in September. This led to a rotation into small-cap stocks.
Investors were previously drawn to mega-cap tech companies due to their potential for revenue and profit growth amidst higher interest rates. Companies like Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA), NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA), and Meta Platforms Inc (NASDAQ:META)saw significant losses.
Despite the swift sell-off of tech shares, it followed a period of record highs for many mega-cap tech companies. The recent downturn represents a minor adjustment following strong rallies since mid-April.
Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL), for instance, saw a 2.3% drop, even after Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) raised its price target for the stock. However, Apple shares have risen nearly 10% over the past month and over 20% in the last six months.
The surprise 0.1% drop in last month's CPI sparked movements in both equities and bonds. The yield on the US 10-year note hovered below 4.20% for most of the session before closing at 4.21%. The likelihood of an interest rate cut at the September 17-18 Federal Reserve meeting soared above 90%.
Investors are now eagerly awaiting Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell's response to the latest CPI data in an upcoming interview.