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

Trendingnow

1

The U.S. campaigned to host the World Cup. Now soccer fans will trade their countries' train system for the U.S.'s 'D' rated infrastructure

2

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

3

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

1

The U.S. campaigned to host the World Cup. Now soccer fans will trade their countries' train system for the U.S.'s 'D' rated infrastructure

2

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

3

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

The Slump in U.S. Stocks Is Accelerating. These Are the Culprits for the Big Selloff

By
Kevin Kelleher
Kevin Kelleher
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Kevin Kelleher
Kevin Kelleher
Down Arrow Button Icon
October 10, 2018, 6:56 PM ET

One of the least celebrated aspects of bull markets is that they are like lush, overgrown forests. Every new record set by stock indexes is that much more foliage that’s ready to burn, should someone throw a match into the landscape.

Now that a decline in U.S. stocks, which began a week ago, is accelerating into a worrisome slump, market observers are wondering where the matchsticks came from. There are two likely culprits: One encouraged by President Trump—an escalating trade war with China—and one that Trump has loudly criticized—the Federal Reserve’s willingness to keep raising interest rates.

On Wednesday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 831 points, or 3.2% of its value. The S&P 500 Index dropped 3.3%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite was hit hardest of all, falling 4.1%. Since the market’s close one week ago, the Dow is down 4.3%, the S&P is down 4.5% and the Nasdaq has fallen 7%.

That’s hardly the stuff of bear markets, which are usually declared once an asset loses 20% of its peak value. But it has left some investors on edge because U.S. stocks have enjoyed low volatility since March. And also because trade wars and higher interest rates are two threats to the stock market that can not only endure for years, but can escalate over time.

Now add in the fact that the bull market in U.S. stocks is well into its ninth year, the absence of major selloffs for the past several months, and the complacency that comes with week after week of record highs, and you have a market that is poised to stumble blindly into a tripwire. Whether the declines continue in coming days remains to be seen—and will largely be determined by what happens in the bond market and on trade fronts.

The Fed has been raising interest rates to guard against the risk of inflation, should wages and prices rise further. One important gauge of inflation, the consumer price index, will be reported Thursday. The CPI rose a non-threatening 0.2% in August, but a higher number in September could leave bond investors preparing for more rate hikes from the Fed.

Meanwhile, the trade war shows little sign of being resolved any time soon. In fact, it looks to be broadening into a currency dispute as well, with some market observers noting that the Chinese renminbi has risen 10% recently, just enough to offset the 10% tariffs that the Trump administration imposed on many Chinese imports. To some in the White House, that reportedly smacks of manipulation.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin hasn’t labeled China a currency manipulator, but he did call Wednesday for currency policies to be part of upcoming trade talks with China. “As we look at trade issues there is no question that we want to make sure China is not doing competitive devaluations,” Mnuchin told the Financial Times. “The renminbi has depreciated significantly during the year.… We are going to absolutely want to make sure that as part of any trade understanding we come to that currency has to be part of that.”

Perhaps the hardest and most concerning selloffs have been in the tech sector, with Apple, Microsoft, and Alphabet falling 4% or more. Other tech names were battered harder: Netflix fell 8.3%, Amazon 6.2% and Twitter 8.5%. Many tech companies are relying on China for new customers or low-cost suppliers, and a trade war leaves them at risk.
While the tech industry has led the U.S. market higher this year, it is also one of the most highly valued. Amazon’s price-to-earnings ratio is 139 even after today’s selloff, while Netflix’s PE is 148. That leaves many tech stocks vulnerable to more selling, should bad news continue to rollout in the coming days.
About the Author
By Kevin Kelleher
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in

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

Pope Leo XIV presenting his 'AI encyclical' at the Vatican in Rome. The Pope, dressed in white, is sitting in a large chair with a laptop open in front of him and flowers arranged on the table in front of the laptop,
NewslettersEye on AI
Pope Leo’s ‘AI encyclical’ says a lot. But critics say it misses the mark
By Jeremy KahnMay 26, 2026
9 minutes ago
America’s housing market decline is ‘no longer just a Sun Belt story’—LA and Dallas are tumbling, too
Real EstateHousing
America’s housing market decline is ‘no longer just a Sun Belt story’—LA and Dallas are tumbling, too
By Nick LichtenbergMay 26, 2026
17 minutes ago
n
InvestingMarkets
Goldman Sachs just ran some ugly numbers on the SaaSPocalypse—and found hedge funds are dumping software and piling into semis
By Nick LichtenbergMay 26, 2026
39 minutes ago
Rear view of a depressed non binary person looking out of their bedroom window on a sunny day - negative emotion
EconomySmall Business
America is becoming less neighborly, and it’s hurting Gen Z and millennials’ chances at economic mobility
By Tristan BoveMay 26, 2026
56 minutes ago
Trump has lost four members of his Cabinet. All of them are women
NewslettersMPW Daily
Trump has lost four members of his Cabinet. All of them are women
By Emma HinchliffeMay 26, 2026
1 hour ago
Coinbase pushes further into AI payments with new MCP for Base network
CryptoCoinbase
Coinbase pushes further into AI payments with new MCP for Base network
By Jeff John RobertsMay 26, 2026
1 hour ago

Most Popular

The U.S. campaigned to host the World Cup. Now soccer fans will trade their countries' train system for the U.S.'s 'D' rated infrastructure
Travel & Leisure
The U.S. campaigned to host the World Cup. Now soccer fans will trade their countries' train system for the U.S.'s 'D' rated infrastructure
By Catherina GioinoMay 25, 2026
1 day 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
1 day ago
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
5 days ago
A billionaire and an A-list actor found refuge in a 37-home Florida neighborhood with armed guards—proof that privacy is now the ultimate luxury
Real Estate
A billionaire and an A-list actor found refuge in a 37-home Florida neighborhood with armed guards—proof that privacy is now the ultimate luxury
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezMay 25, 2026
1 day ago
Elon Musk's best friend could make more than $100 billion from SpaceX's IPO. His firm is also owed billions by SpaceX
Investing
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
1 day ago
The Supreme Court handed Trump a Golden Chariot on tariffs — now he just has to take it
Commentary
The Supreme Court handed Trump a Golden Chariot on tariffs — now he just has to take it
By Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and Steven TianMay 26, 2026
7 hours 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.