NEW YORK - Investors are tiptoeing back into shares of U.S. tech stocks following a sharp tumble, even as some still-elevated valuations threaten to punish dip buyers if markets stumble again.
Those valuations could make the sector vulnerable to future turbulence. Mixed earnings from some of the biggest names - including Google parent Alphabet and Microsoft - and legendary investor Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway selling of half its Apple stake are among other reasons traders are treading lightly.
Despite the latest pullbacks, the Nasdaq 100 remains up 6% in 2024, while the S&P 500 is up 9%. Bulls can point to strong financial performance: with most companies already reported, two sectors that include a number of megacaps - tech and communication services - are on pace to increase second-quarter earnings by 19% and about 28%, respectively, from a year ago.
Individually, some of the megacap names are trading below historical price-to-earnings averages, while others remain elevated. Facebook owner Meta Platforms, for example, is trading at 21.7 times, below its 10-year average of 25, while Microsoft is at 30 times, above its 10-year average of 25. To be sure, while markets have stabilized over the past two sessions, it remains to be seen if the recent bout of volatility is over. Uncertainty over the economic landscape will be tested in coming days, with weekly U.S. jobless claims on Thursday and the monthly consumer price index inflation data on Aug 14. As a result, some investors believe there may be better opportunities to buy tech stocks down the road.
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