Tech stocks face reckoning as AI valuation debate intensifies

The selloff, which saw the Nasdaq shed more than 2% on Tuesday, rippled outward from a 13% drop in Micron Technology shares and a 10% decline in South Korea’s KOSPI index. Investors are now pivoting their focus toward Micron’s upcoming earnings, seeking clarity on whether the demand for memory chips can justify a stock price that has climbed more than 200% this year.

Broader macroeconomic pressures are compounding the tech sector's unease. Divergent forecasts from major financial institutions—with Bank of America anticipating rate hikes through January while Citi projects cuts—have left markets searching for a clear signal on Federal Reserve policy. Concurrently, the dollar index has climbed to a 13-month high, putting pressure on the Bank of Japan to intervene against the yen. As FedEx reports margin tightening and private credit funds face heavy redemptions, the market is shifting from a period of unbridled optimism to a more cautious appraisal of corporate health.