{"id":72170,"date":"2026-09-24T06:07:15","date_gmt":"2026-09-24T10:07:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/tech-sector-under-pressure-as-markets-digest-economic-data-and-await-retail-earnings\/72170\/"},"modified":"2026-09-24T06:07:15","modified_gmt":"2026-09-24T10:07:15","slug":"tech-sector-under-pressure-as-markets-digest-economic-data-and-await-retail-earnings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/tech-sector-under-pressure-as-markets-digest-economic-data-and-await-retail-earnings\/72170\/","title":{"rendered":"Tech Sector Under Pressure as Markets Digest Economic Data and Await Retail Earnings"},"content":{"rendered":"

U.S. equity markets are facing a challenging session this Thursday, September 24th, 2026, as investors navigate a landscape of rising volatility and a pronounced pullback in the technology sector. Premarket<\/a> trading activity signaled a cautious start to the day, with futures for the major indexes trending lower as market participants weighed fresh economic data against the backdrop of a high-interest-rate environment.<\/p>\n

Major Indexes and Market Performance<\/h2>\n

The major benchmarks are showing broad-based declines, with growth-oriented sectors leading the retreat. The Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ<\/a>), which tracks the Nasdaq 100, is the day's laggard, dropping 1.13%. This underperformance reflects significant pressure on large-cap technology and semiconductor names. The State Street SPDR S&P 500<\/a> ETF Trust (SPY<\/a>) is down 0.67%, while the blue-chip heavy State Street SPDR Dow Jones<\/a> Industrial Average ETF Trust (DIA<\/a>) has fallen 0.44%. Small-cap stocks are also seeing red, with the iShares Russell 2000 ETF (IWM<\/a>) declining 0.51%.<\/p>\n

Volatility is on the rise as uncertainty creeps back into the narrative, evidenced by a 1.08% jump in the iPath Series B S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures ETN (VXX<\/a>). In the bond market, yields are showing some movement as the iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (TLT<\/a>) fell 0.69%, suggesting a slight uptick in long-term rates.<\/p>\n

Sector Trends and Commodity Movements<\/h2>\n

Energy is the primary bright spot in today's market. The State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE<\/a>) rose 1.05%, bolstered by a 1.46% gain in the United States Oil Fund (USO<\/a>). Conversely, the semiconductor space is reeling, with the VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH<\/a>) tumbling 2.16%.<\/p>\n

In the cryptocurrency-linked equity space, sentiment is notably bearish. The iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT<\/a>) is down 1.54%, and the iShares Ethereum Trust ETF (ETHA<\/a>) has shed 1.46%. Precious metals are also losing luster today, as the SPDR Gold<\/a> Trust (GLD<\/a>) dropped 0.82%.<\/p>\n

Corporate News and Premarket Movers<\/h2>\n

Several major companies are making headlines due to significant price movements and corporate developments:<\/p>\n