• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year

2

The pig in the python: Baby Boomers are strangling the economy they built by refusing to move or retire

3

Uber CEO says rideshare 'freed up' his son from having to get a driver’s license—and he's one of many Gen Zers who aren’t willing to drive

1

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year

2

The pig in the python: Baby Boomers are strangling the economy they built by refusing to move or retire

3

Uber CEO says rideshare 'freed up' his son from having to get a driver’s license—and he's one of many Gen Zers who aren’t willing to drive
Finance

Four Factors Behind Wednesday’s Tech Rout

Matthew Heimer
By
Matthew Heimer
Matthew Heimer
Executive Editor, Features
Down Arrow Button Icon
Matthew Heimer
By
Matthew Heimer
Matthew Heimer
Executive Editor, Features
Down Arrow Button Icon
October 10, 2018, 5:34 PM ET

A recent candidate once warned his audiences that if he became president, Americans would “win so much, you’ll get tired of winning.” Donald Trump did indeed get elected, and his warning rang true on Wednesday, as major U.S. stock markets plunged in tandem—thanks in part to signs that a very healthy economy could be stoking inflation. Tech stocks, in particular, fell hard, as the Nasdaq fell 4.1% to approach “correction” territory.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 fell 3.2% and 3.3%, respectively. All three indexes were in decline all day, and each took roughly half their losses in the last two hours of the trading day.

To keep things in perspective, this wasn’t even the markets’ worst day of the year—they stumbled hard and fell further in February. But with the S&P 500 down for the fifth consecutive days, investors were sweating more than usual when the markets closed.

What made investors so blue, and indicators so red? It’s never easy to pinpoint, even in hindsight, but some economic trends are becoming noticeably more pronounced. And those trends, in turn, tend to prompt many investors to sell stocks perceived as more risky—even when the trends are themselves by-products of good economic news and strong market performance.

Those trends:

Everybody hates inflation…

Ever since the depths of the Great Recession, employment has been increasing, but without significant rank-and-file wage growth. With unemployment at a 48-year-low, that trend is finally starting to change, raising fears that inflation, which has also stayed historically low, could flare up, eroding the value of stocks, salaries, your house, and pretty much everything—and chasing some skittish investors out of the stock market.

And higher rates are changing habits

Worries about inflation also tend to drive down the prices of bonds—and bond yields rise as bond prices fall. (The Federal Reserve has also helped push prices down as it sells off some of the bonds it bought to support the economy during the financial crisis.) As recently as June of 2016, 10-year Treasury bonds yield just 1.43%; when the markets closed Wednesday, they traded at 3.19%.

Why is that bad for stocks? As bond yields rise, risk-averse investors—ranging from the proverbial cautious retiree to gigantic pension funds—become more willing to park more money in bonds and collect the interest. That money has to come from somewhere, and often it comes from “higher risk” stocks, like those in the tech sector.

New money may be drying up

After Trump’s election, tens of billions of dollars in new money flooded into mutual funds, a trend that no doubt has contributed to the current bull market’s unusual longevity. As the Wall Street Journal reports today (subscription required), citing Morningstar data, that trend appears to be slackening.

In the first three quarters of this year, mutual fund net inflows fell to $281.7 billion, down 46% from last year’s pace. Some of this may well reflect investors taking some profits after enjoying more than nine years of stock gains (a strategy that Fortune recently wrote about in more detail).

Trade tensions are bad for tech

With today’s losses, the Nasdaq is down 8.4% from a high it hit just six weeks ago. Thanks to their bigger-than-big run in recent years, many tech stocks trade at higher price-to-earnings valuations than a lot of their peers. If you’re one of those cautious sorts who wants to take winnings and hedge your bets, you’re more likely to sell Amazon and Nasdaq than, say, Caterpillar or a potash company. And if you’re more broadly pessimistic about how long the economic good times can last, this is the kind of “sector rotation” you may have been considering anyway.

The other wild card is trade. Tensions continue to burble between the U.S. and China, and an escalating trade war could have a particularly nasty impact on anybody depending on Chinese-made components—a category that includes smartphone makers like Apple (down 4.6% today) (AAPL) and a lot of the semiconductor industry.

Speaking of Apple, Warren Buffett, who now counts the iPhone maker as one of his biggest holdings, was not immune to today’s downturn. Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A) was down 4.8% on the day.

CORRECTION: Due to an editing error, earlier versions of this article described stock losses as occurring Tuesday, Oct. 9, rather than Wednesday, Oct. 10.

About the Author
Matthew Heimer
By Matthew HeimerExecutive Editor, Features
Instagram iconTwitter icon

Matt Heimer oversees Fortune's longform storytelling in digital and print and is the editorial coordinator of Fortune magazine. He is also a co-chair of the Fortune Global Forum and the lead editor of Fortune's annual Change the World list.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Finance

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Finance

g
PoliticsElections
Democrats want to run on corruption. Their own stock trades keep getting in the way
By Matt Brown and The Associated PressMay 25, 2026
1 hour ago
g
North Americawater use and conservation
America’s largest oil export hub is so starved of water that it’s been illegal to have a green lawn for 2 years
By Michelle Hummel and The ConversationMay 25, 2026
2 hours ago
g
EnvironmentLaw
You can’t repair your tractor because Hollywood was terrified of the VCR
By Oana Godeanu-Kenworthy and The ConversationMay 25, 2026
2 hours ago
r
Environmentclimate change
Rice feeds more than half the world. It’s also the climate equivalent of 239 million cars
By Hanqin Tian, Jingting Zhang, Pep Canadell, Shufen (Susan) Pan and The ConversationMay 25, 2026
2 hours ago
f
EconomyWorld Cup
The economist who wrote the book on sports finance has a number for FIFA’s World Cup haul: $15 billion
By Richard Sheehan and The ConversationMay 25, 2026
3 hours ago
Antonio Gracias, founder, chief executive officer and chief investment officer of Valor Equity Partners
InvestingSpaceX
Elon Musk’s best friend could make more than $100 billion from SpaceX’s IPO. His firm is also owed billions by SpaceX
By Eva RoytburgMay 25, 2026
5 hours ago

Most Popular

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year
Success
Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year
By Preston ForeMay 21, 2026
4 days ago
The pig in the python: Baby Boomers are strangling the economy they built by refusing to move or retire
Economy
The pig in the python: Baby Boomers are strangling the economy they built by refusing to move or retire
By Nick LichtenbergMay 25, 2026
10 hours ago
Uber CEO says rideshare 'freed up' his son from having to get a driver’s license—and he's one of many Gen Zers who aren’t willing to drive
Lifestyle
Uber CEO says rideshare 'freed up' his son from having to get a driver’s license—and he's one of many Gen Zers who aren’t willing to drive
By Sasha RogelbergMay 24, 2026
1 day ago
Inside the 'stealth wealth' playbook: How Silicon Valley's elite buy multimillion-dollar mansions without leaving a paper trail
Real Estate
Inside the 'stealth wealth' playbook: How Silicon Valley's elite buy multimillion-dollar mansions without leaving a paper trail
By Sydney LakeMay 24, 2026
1 day ago
This 39-year-old quit his lineman job during the pandemic and built a $50 million company in his backyard
Success
This 39-year-old quit his lineman job during the pandemic and built a $50 million company in his backyard
By Nick LichtenbergMay 23, 2026
2 days ago
Microsoft reports are exposing AI's real cost problem: Using the tech is more expensive than paying human employees
AI
Microsoft reports are exposing AI's real cost problem: Using the tech is more expensive than paying human employees
By Jake AngeloMay 22, 2026
3 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.