Updated
Updated · bnpparibas-am.com · Jun 12
Nasdaq Drops 5% as Strong US Data Lifts Odds of a 25bp Fed Hike
Updated
Updated · bnpparibas-am.com · Jun 12

Nasdaq Drops 5% as Strong US Data Lifts Odds of a 25bp Fed Hike

3 articles · Updated · bnpparibas-am.com · Jun 12

Summary

  • The Nasdaq slid 5% after stronger-than-expected US labor data, then fell another 2% before rebounding, as investors repriced rate-sensitive technology stocks.
  • US private payrolls rose 120,000 in May, prior months were revised up, and unemployment fell, weakening the case for Fed rate cuts and pushing end-2026 odds of a full 25bp hike near 100%.
  • Other data reinforced the shift: ISM surveys showed expansion in services and manufacturing, core CPI rose 2.9% year on year with a softer 0.2% monthly gain, while core services inflation stayed above 4% and PPI remained hot.
  • The selloff also reflected lofty tech expectations, with earnings forecasts of 478% growth for Korean hardware stocks and 40%-60% for Taiwan and the US, leaving shares vulnerable to any disappointment.
  • Even so, the report argues valuations are not bubble-like: the Nasdaq trades around 23 times earnings versus about 48 at the March 2000 dot-com peak.

Insights

As the AI boom fuels both growth and inflation, can the Fed tame prices without derailing the tech sector's expansion?
With AI's insatiable energy demand straining power grids, is an infrastructure crisis the real threat to future tech growth?