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It hasn’t been a great day so far this Thursday for ASX shares and the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO). At the time of writing, the ASX 200 is down a nasty 1.2%. But some ASX tech shares have fared far worse, perhaps due to some hawkish comments from the US Federal Reserve overnight.

Here are 3 such shares that have just hit new 52-week lows today.

3 ASX tech shares sinking to new lows today

Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT)

Buy now, pay later (BNPL) leader Afterpay has copped a beating today. This payments pioneer has sold off heavily so far this Thursday. It was down almost 11% earlier this morning when it hit its new 52-week low of $71.65 a share. But investors have since pared back those losses slightly and Afterpay is, at the time of writing, down 9.87% at $72.56 a share.

It appears a steep overnight sell-off in Block Inc (NYSE: SQ), the US payments tech share that is close to acquiring Afterpay, could be playing a big role in this sell-off. Block lost more than 8% last night (our time), and it seems ASX investors are giving Afterpay the same treatment.

Zip Co Ltd (ASX: Z1P)

Afterpay’s fellow BNPL share Zip Co has not escaped the malaise that is pulling down its larger rival. While today’s sell-off isn’t quite as nasty as Afterpay’s, Zip is still down 4.39% at $3.92 a share so far. But earlier this morning, Zip dipped as low as $3.80 a share (a loss of more than 7%), a new 52-week low.

At that pricing, Zip was a depressing 74% from the company’s 52-week high of $14.53 a share that we saw early last year. It’s possible the woes of Afterpay and Block are spilling into the Zip share price so far this Thursday.

Airtasker Ltd (ASX: ART)

Keen followers of ASX initial public offerings (IPOs) might remember Airtasker’s explosive debut on the ASX boards last year. After investors were treated to a 55% pop when this company listed, many might have taken a liking to Airtasker shares.

Unfortunately, it has been a one-way street since then. Airtasker is today down 4.82% at the time of writing at 79 cents a share. But it dipped down to 78 cents just before lunchtime today. That’s a new all-time low for this ASX tech share. It also represents a depressing 60% decline from the company’s 52-week high of $1.96 a share that it achieved just after IPO.

The post These 3 ASX tech shares just hit 52-week lows. What’s going on? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Why Afterpay, Altium, Aristocrat Leisure, and Pro Medicus shares are sinking
• ASX 200 (ASX:XJO) midday update: Afterpay sinks again, BHP and Rio rise
• Afterpay (ASX:APT) share price tumbles 11% in massive one-day loss
• Is the party over for ASX BNPL shares?
• ASX 200 tech shares on watch after Nasdaq selloff

Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen owns Block, Inc. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns and has recommended Afterpay Limited, Block, Inc., and ZIPCOLTD FPO. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended Airtasker Limited. The Motley Fool Australia owns and has recommended Afterpay Limited. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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Shares in the implant device juggernaut Cochlear Limited (ASX: COH) struggled to find range throughout 2021, trading sideways for the bulk of the year.

As signs of a recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic began to appear, elective surgeries – such as Cochlear’s implant surgeries – began to normalise once more to start off 2021. This inflected positively on the Cochlear share price.

However, the demand-pull from COVID-19 continued to plague the Australian health system, and patient turnover from elective surgeries has been placed more or less in limbo for the time being.

Couldn’t catch a bid

By the end of the year, Cochlear had pared gains achieved throughout 1H 2021. Back then, shares climbed the stairway upwards from early January and peaked at 52-week closing highs of $256.09 in August.

However, shares then turned down sharply following the release of Cochlear’s FY21 results. Even though the company met its guidance throughout the P&L, analysts were baking in a more favourable result from the hearing implant giant.

For instance, implant unit sales grew 15% year on year to 36,546 while sales revenue came in 10% higher from last year.

The company also saw a 54% year on year increase in underlying net profit – ahead of company guidance – and grew its full year dividend by 60% to $2.55 per share.

Impressive results, although still well behind analyst forecasts. Not good enough according to the market.

Numerous studies have shown that investors tend to reward companies who post stronger than expected earnings, anticipating these to carry higher valuations into the future. Companies who ‘miss’ analyst estimates, therefore, tend to underperform expectations afterwards based on these studies.

As such, investors punished the company amid the earnings miss. Shareholders either exited or trimmed down positions resulting in a substantial plunge in its share price that remained in situ until December.

A market update towards the end of the year added more selling pressure from the top as well. The University of Pittsburgh claims that Cochlear has infringed on one of its patents. The company has strenuously denied the claims and states the patent is invalid.

Nevertheless, investors drove the Cochlear share price further into the red following the news, and have wiped $22 in value since that point.

What’s the outlook for Cochlear in 2022?

Citi is neutral on Cochlear but is constructive on the shares in view of the company’s business model. It notes a recent recall of a competitor’s hearing implant offering, Demant.

The recall illustrates the competitive moat Cochlear has built around its surgeries and products after decades of optimisation through R&D, Citi says.

Despite the wind-back in elective surgeries over the last 2 years, Citi notes that Cochlear has still maintained around 65% market share of the implant segment throughout the pandemic.

It values Cochlear at $220 per share, whereas fellow brokers Macquarie and Jarden rate the company as a buy and assign $256 and $258 price targets respectively.

Goldman Sachs recognises the challenges Cochlear faces regarding its elective surgeries and reckons the company is a sell right now.

The firm says that revenue from Cochlear’s surgeries remains exposed to the coronavirus due to their elective nature. This is an overhang that presents as a systematic risk to the company that cannot be diversified away, it says.

Goldman also reckons that the Cochlear share price is trading at a frothy valuation even considering the recent pullback. Add in the fact that Australian surgery numbers are yet to recover to pre-pandemic volumes, Goldman finds it hard to justify the high valuation.

The post Hear this: Why the Cochlear (ASX:COH) share price had such a difficult time in 2021 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Where are Cochlear (ASX:COH) shares headed in 2022?
• 2 ASX 50 shares to buy in 2022
• What’s the outlook for ASX healthcare shares in 2022?
• Why this top broker says the Cochlear (ASX:COH) share price is heading lower

The author has no positions in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns and has recommended Cochlear Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Cochlear Ltd. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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The BetMakers Technology Group Ltd (ASX: BET) share price had a great run on the ASX in 2021.

The betting technology company’s stock soared as it completed numerous acquisitions and got a hold in the United States’ market.

At the end of 2020, the BetMakers share price was trading at 67 cents. Come the final session of 2021, the company’s stock closed at 80 cents.

That represents a 19.4% gain, despite a 38% tumble over the final 2 months of the year.

Let’s take a look at what moved the BetMakers share price in 2021.

The year that was for the BetMakers share price

The company’s year started out on the right foot when it partnered with Matt Tripp who agreed to take up the role of strategic advisor.

Later on in the year, it announced a previous partnership with the Waterhouse Group brought in $6.2 million of revenue between 22 May 2020 and 30 June 2021.

The BetMakers share price was also boosted by the passing of legislation in the United States, which saw the company able to bring fixed-odds horse racing to New Jersey.

It also acquired Sportstech’s racing, tote, and digital businesses and technology platforms Form Cruncher and Swopstakes in 2021.

Additionally, the company made a play for Tabcorp Holdings Limited‘s (ASX: TAH) wagering and media business. It placed a $4 billion bid for the arm.

However, Tabcorp ultimately decided to demerge the business, saving BetMakers the trouble of finding capital for the purchase.

Unfortunately, the BetMakers share price tumbled from the end of October, which happened to be shortly after the release of the final quarterly results the company published last year.

Within them, the company announced a 135% quarter-on-quarter increase in cash receipts, which came to $21 million. It also reported a $1.5 million net operating cash outflow.

While the results seemed to be relatively strong, the market bid the BetMakers share price down 1.6% on the day of their release and plunged it 38% lower over the following 2 months.

Right now, BetMakers’ stock is trading at 75 cents, down 3.59% today. It’s now down 6% since the start of the week.

The post What made the BetMakers (ASX:BET) share price surge 19% in 2021? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Why Betmakers, Centuria, Neometals, and Syrah shares are storming higher

Motley Fool contributor Brooke Cooper has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns and has recommended Betmakers Technology Group Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Betmakers Technology Group Ltd. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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In afternoon trade, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has followed the lead of US markets and is sinking. At the time of writing, the benchmark index is down 1.3% to 7,476.2 points.

Four ASX shares that are falling more than most today are listed below. Here’s why they are tumbling lower:

Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT)

The Afterpay share price has dropped 10% to $72.75. Investors have been selling this buy now pay later provider’s shares after the Block (Square) share price was sold off during overnight trade. The Block share price sank 8% on Wednesday night, which further reduces the value of the takeover proposal approved by shareholders last month.

Altium Limited (ASX: ALU)

The Altium share price has dropped over 4% to $41.78. This follows broad weakness in the tech sector today following a selloff on Wall Street’s Nasdaq index overnight. At the time of writing, the S&P/ASX All Technology index is down by a very disappointing 4%. These declines appear to have been driven by the release of minutes from the US Federal Reserve’s December meeting. Those minutes indicated that officials are ready to aggressively dial back policy support.

Aristocrat Leisure Limited (ASX: ALL)

The Aristocrat Leisure share price is down over 3% to $43.80. As well as weakness in the tech sector, this gaming technology company’s shares have come under pressure following an update on its proposed acquisition of Playtech. Aristocrat advised that the Playtech shareholder vote on the acquisition has been pushed back from 12 January to 2 February. This is to allow time for rival JKO Play to make a firm competing offer.

Pro Medicus Limited (ASX: PME)

The Pro Medicus share price is down a further 3% to $55.18. This health imaging company’s shares have come under pressure this week after Morgans downgraded its shares to a reduce rating on valuation grounds. Its analysts suggested that investors sit tight and wait for buying opportunities around the $50 mark.

The post Why Afterpay, Altium, Aristocrat Leisure, and Pro Medicus shares are sinking appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• ASX 200 (ASX:XJO) midday update: Afterpay sinks again, BHP and Rio rise
• Afterpay (ASX:APT) share price tumbles 11% in massive one-day loss
• Is the party over for ASX BNPL shares?
• Why the Aristocrat Leisure (ASX:ALL) share price is tumbling lower today
• ASX 200 tech shares on watch after Nasdaq selloff

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns and has recommended Afterpay Limited, Altium, and Pro Medicus Ltd. The Motley Fool Australia owns and has recommended Afterpay Limited and Pro Medicus Ltd. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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The Rhythm Biosciences Ltd (ASX: RHY) share price is surging on Thursday afternoon trade. This comes after the company announced two positive updates regarding its ColoSTAT product and a share placement.

At the time of writing, the medical device company’s shares are trading for $1.65, up 10.74%.

What’s driving the Rhythm share price higher?

Investors are fighting to get a hold of Rhythm shares after digesting the company’s latest releases.

In its first statement, Rhythm advised that it has expanded the CE Mark registration to the United Kingdom for ColoSTAT.

An experimental test-kit, ColoSTAT is being trialled as a low-cost, easy-to-use blood test to detect colorectal cancer.

The regulatory milestone allows the company to market and sell ColoSTAT within England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Rhythm noted that Europe and the United Kingdom represent a significant addressable screening population for ColoSTAT of over 231 million people. This has a potential combined value of around US$12 billion.

In addition to the announcement, the company revealed it undertook a private share placement to a global institutional funds manager.

Approximately $6.53 million was raised through the issuance of 4.67 million Rhythm shares at a price of $1.40 apiece.

The proceeds of the placement are expected to be allocated towards progressing Rhythm’s global commercial market entry activities for ColoSTAT.

Furthermore, the company will seek to develop additional cancer diagnostic targets.

Management highlighted that the funds will provide enough cash runway until late 2023, not including any commercial revenues achieved.

Rhythm share price snapshot

The Rhythm share price has accelerated by 29% in the past 12 months, reflecting positive investor sentiment. The company’s shares reached an all-time high of $2.08 in November, before treading lower.

At today’s prices, Rhythm presides a market capitalisation of roughly $344.76 million, with approximately 208.95 million shares on issue.

The post Here’s why the Rhythm (ASX:RHY) share price is up 11% today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Rhythm Biosciences (ASX:RHY) share price roars 8% on new cancer markets

Motley Fool contributor Aaron Teboneras has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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The Element 25 Ltd (ASX: E25) share price is soaring today. The move comes after the Australian miner announced a promising development regarding its Butcherbird manganese project this morning.

At the time of writing, the Element 25 share price is up 17.5% at $1.41, having hit a high of $1.49 this morning.

New development in manganese project

In case you haven’t heard of it, manganese is a fairly comment element found around the world. However, it is critical to the production of steel and batteries.

And as batteries and renewable energies become more and more popular, the need for manganese is becoming ever more demanding.

The Australian miner holds the biggest onshore resource in the country — the Butcherbird manganese project in Pilbara, Western Australia.

This morning, the company proudly announced it was back on its feet and running after conducting logwasher repair and engineering modification tasks that were scheduled for late last month.

The company reported a failure in the logwasher shaft on 18 November last year, which affected production.

Production levels above normal

The miner also reported an increase in production since the repair halt, hitting a daily production record of 1,209 tonnes on Monday.

Modifications for plant efficiency were also undertaken during the halt, including improved access to the plant (for future maintenance and operations), reducing noise and dust pollution, and managing over-wear of the key components of the plant.

Looking ahead, Element 25 is focused on delivering continued manganese production through Q1 FY22.

Element 25 share price snapshot

The Element 25 share price was fairly quiet up until the beginning of the pandemic.

In just one year, shares jumped from 11 cents to $2.68 — an increase of 2,336%.

The miner’s share price dropped back to a 52-week-low of $1.01 last month but has since rebounded by more than 40%.

The company has a market capitalisation of $183 million.

The post Here’s why the Element 25 (ASX:E25) share price is rocketing 18% today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Can Bitcoin (CRYPTO:BTC) steal gold’s safe haven shine to top US$100,000?
• Own Coles (ASX:COL) shares? The retailer is warning of ‘difficult weeks’ ahead
• ASX 200 (ASX:XJO) midday update: Afterpay sinks again, BHP and Rio rise
• Afterpay (ASX:APT) share price tumbles 11% in massive one-day loss
• Why did the Rio Tinto share price (ASX:RIO) have such a lousy 2021?

Motley Fool contributor Alice de Bruin has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) to US$100,000?

With the token currently trading for US$43,550, down 5% in the past 24 hours, that may sound like a bit of a stretch.

But then don’t forget that only 2 years ago, on 6 January 2020, one Bitcoin was worth a mere US$7,770. And this time last year it was trading for US$36,820 before rocketing to new all-time highs of US$68,790 on 10 November.

So, what could help propel Bitcoin beyond its previous record high and onto US$100,000?

Bitcoin as a store of value

That price target comes from none other than global investment advisor, Goldman Sachs.

According to Goldman’s analysts, the Bitcoin price could soar if the digital asset takes on a larger share from gold of what’s known as the store of value market.

As Bloomberg reports:

Goldman estimates that Bitcoin’s float-adjusted market capitalization is just under $700 billion. That accounts for 20% share of the ‘store of value’ market which it said is comprised of Bitcoin and gold. The value of gold that’s available for investment is estimated at $2.6 trillion.

According to Zach Pandl, Goldman Sachs’ co-head of global FX and EM strategy, the Bitcoin price could top US$100,000 over the next 5 years if its share of the store of value market were to increase from the current 20% to 50%. From today’s prices that works out to a compound annualised return of 17–18% over the 5 years

Watch the volatility

Bitcoin is a newcomer when it comes to haven assets, or a place to store value. While it’s certainly outpaced inflation, the price volatility is far higher than what we see with gold.

The yellow metal is currently trading for US$1,811 per ounce. Looking back over the past 12 months, gold reached lows of US$1,684 on 8 March and a high of US$1,908 on 2 June.

Bitcoin, on the other hand, dropped as low as US$29,807 on 20 July before then going on to hit US$68,790 on 10 November.

Investors seeking a new store of value to guard against government money printing and other global economic uncertainties will need to keep those Bitcoin price swings in mind.

The post Can Bitcoin (CRYPTO:BTC) steal gold’s safe haven shine to top US$100,000? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Investing in Bitcoin? Here’s what the crypto experts are predicting for 2022
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The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and has recommended Bitcoin. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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The Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL) share price is seesawing on Thursday. This comes as the supermarket operator faces a challenging period ahead, with the latest COVID-19 outbreak causing supply issues.

At the time of writing, Coles shares are swapping hands for $17.67 apiece, down 0.23%. However, they have been as low as $17.61 and as high as $17.77 during morning trading.

In contrast, the broader the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is trading at 7,478.6 points, down 1.15%.

Coles reintroduces product limits amid staff shortages

Investors don’t appear unduly concerned by the negative news surrounding the supermarket giant, with the Coles share price holding its own.

A strong rise in COVID-19 cases has forced thousands of people to isolate at home while waiting for their results. This has created a huge disruption to Coles’ supply chain as a majority of its staff are reportedly obeying stay-at-home orders.

Notably, Coles shelves have been laid bare across thousands of stores in Australia. In response, the company has brought back product limits on certain meats as well as rapid antigen tests.

According to media outlets, the company is operating on skeleton staff at its distribution centres.

Coles chief operations officer Matt Swindells commented:

It’s probably going to take a few weeks for us till we fully recover. What we really need to do is make sure that the team members that are isolating are able to get tested, to get checked and then to safely return back to work quickly.

The latest COVID-19 figures have continued to surge with more than 207,600 active cases in New South Wales and 61,100 cases in Victoria. This is a sharp increase from this time last year when the country had been effectively managing the pandemic.

About the Coles share price

It’s been a rollercoaster ride for the Coles share price over the last 12 months, posting a loss of around 4%.

Based on today’s price, Coles commands a market capitalisation of roughly $23.6 billion, with approximately 1.33 billion shares on hand.

The post Own Coles (ASX:COL) shares? The retailer is warning of ‘difficult weeks’ ahead appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• What’s dragging on the Coles (ASX:COL) share price this week?
• Analysts name 2 top ASX dividend shares to buy now
• Here are 2 ASX dividend shares to buy in 2022
• Top ASX shares to buy in 2022
• The ASX share market coverage that captivated readers in 2021

Motley Fool contributor Aaron Teboneras has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia owns and has recommended COLESGROUP DEF SET. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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At lunch on Thursday, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has followed the lead of US markets and is tumbling lower. The benchmark index is currently down 1.2% to 7,477.2 points.

Here’s what is happening on the ASX 200 today:

Tech shares sold off

It has been a brutal day for the tech sector on Thursday with heavy declines being seen across the board. This follows a tech selloff on Wall Street which led to the Nasdaq index having its worst day in almost a year. Among the worst performers are Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT) and Altium Limited (ASX: ALU) shares. The former was down as much as 11% at one stage.

Mining giants rise

It has been a much better day for mining giants BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) and Rio Tinto Limited (ASX: RIO). Both miners are pushing notably higher today after the benchmark iron ore price continued its ascent. According to CommSec, the spot iron ore price rose by US$2.45 or 2% to US$125.35 a tonne.

South32 to restart Brazilian aluminium operation

The South32 Ltd (ASX: S32) share price is trading largely flat today despite announcing the restart of its 40%-owned Brazilian aluminium operations after a pause of over six years. The diversified miner also revealed that it will be powering its share of the operations by 100% cost efficient renewable power. This will place the smelter in the second quartile of the global aluminium site cost curve.

Best and worst ASX 200 performers

The best performer on the ASX 200 on Thursday has been the Clinuvel Pharmaceuticals Limited (ASX: CUV) share price with a 2.5% gain on no news. However, the biopharmaceutical company’s shares have fallen by 33% over the last two months, so bargain hunters could be swooping in today. The worst performer has been the Afterpay share price with a decline of almost 10%. This follows another heavy decline by the Block share price overnight.

The post ASX 200 (ASX:XJO) midday update: Afterpay sinks again, BHP and Rio rise appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Afterpay (ASX:APT) share price tumbles 11% in massive one-day loss
• Why did the Rio Tinto share price (ASX:RIO) have such a lousy 2021?
• Is the party over for ASX BNPL shares?
• Why the South32 (ASX:S32) share price is pushing higher again today
• ASX 200 tech shares on watch after Nasdaq selloff

Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns and has recommended Afterpay Limited and Altium. The Motley Fool Australia owns and has recommended Afterpay Limited. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has opened this Thursday on a rather negative note. The ASX 200 is currently down a nasty 1.11% and is going at 7,482 points at the time of writing. But that’s nothing compared to the Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT) share price. Afterpay shares have been savaged today. At the time of writing, the buy now, pay later (BNPL) pioneer has lost a demoralising 9.5% and is sitting at $72.86 a share. That comes after it fell as low as $71.65 a share just after market open (down 10.7%).

That’s the largest one-day drop for Afterpay since at least the gyrations we saw back in February last year. And possibly since the COVID-induced market crash back in early 2020. As it stands today, Afterpay has now lost more than 22% of its value over the past month alone, and more than 45% since early August.

So what’s behind this apparent collapse in investor sentiment today?

Why is the Afterpay share price getting hammered today?

Well, we can’t say for sure. But it appears a sharp drop in the US markets overnight may have had something to do with it. Last night saw many prominent US tech shares’ share prices massacred following some hawkish comments from the US Federal Reserve. As we covered in depth earlier this morning, the Fed’s latest minutes reveal that the Bank is considering bringing forward a ‘tightening’ of US monetary policy. That could mean higher interest rates sooner. As well as a ‘tapering’ of its quantitative easing programs.

Many tech shares’ valuations are particularly vulnerable to tighter monetary policy due to their debt burdens and (in many cases) pre-profit growth stages.

And one of the tech shares caught up in the US sell-off was none other than Block Inc (NYSE: SQ). Block is the US payments giant formerly known as Square that is lining up to acquire Afterpay in full. Since the Afterpay-Block deal announced back in August is an all-scrip one (0.375 shares of Block for every Afterpay share owned), the Afterpay share price now has a direct link to that of Block.

And last night, Block stock was hammered. It fell a nasty 8.2% and finished up very close to its new 52-week low at US$143.49 a share. That means the value of the Block shares that Afterpay shareholders will receive if this deal reaches the finish line also fell by 8.2%. So it’s perhaps no surprise that Afterpay shares are getting a drilling today.

At the current Afterpay share price, this BNPL share has a market capitalisation of $21.64 billion.

The post Afterpay (ASX:APT) share price tumbles 11% in massive one-day loss appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Is the party over for ASX BNPL shares?
• ASX 200 tech shares on watch after Nasdaq selloff
• 5 things to watch on the ASX 200 on Thursday
• Why Afterpay, Kogan, Premier Investments, and Pro Medicus shares are dropping
• Why are ASX 200 tech shares getting hammered today?

Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen owns Block, Inc. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns and has recommended Afterpay Limited and Block, Inc. The Motley Fool Australia owns and has recommended Afterpay Limited. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

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