Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images
- US futures rose Tuesday after a sharp tech sell-off hit the Nasdaq index the previous day.
- Higher bond yields have unnerved investors, but the pressure eased Tuesday as selling cooled.
- Investors' eyes will be on US government bond auctions to gauge demand for the securities.
- Sign up here for our daily newsletter, 10 Things Before the Opening Bell.
US stock-index futures rose on Tuesday as bond yields eased, after a sharp sell-off in technology stocks put the Nasdaq into correction territory on Monday.
Futures for the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 were up 1.65% in European trading, while S&P 500 futures were 0.75% higher. Dow Jones futures rose 0.37%.
Chinese stocks continued to suffer overnight, with the CSI 300 index dropping 2.15% despite government funds trying to counter the selling. Shares rose in Hong Kong and Japan.
In Europe, the continent-wide Stoxx 600 climbed 0.33% in morning trading, while the UK's FTSE 100 rose 0.34%.
US tech stocks took another battering Monday, with yields on government bonds continuing to rise as investors positioned for higher growth and inflation.
Rising bond yields have weighed on stock markets because they make shares look less attractive. Higher rates and inflation also eat into the value of companies' futures earnings, weighing particularly on fast-growing tech companies such as Tesla that are yet to make much in the way of profit.
The Nasdaq composite index slid 2.41% on Monday, taking its decline to more than 10% since recent highs and putting it in a so-called technical correction. The S&P 500 fell 0.54%.
The Dow Jones industrial average rose 0.97% as investors sold flashy tech stocks and rotated towards companies that stand to do better from strong growth as economies recover from coronavirus.
"Stock markets heavy with the winners of 2020 are suffering, while previously unloved markets heavy with boring banks, consumer staples, resource and property companies are catching more of the global recovery trade winds," said Jeffrey Halley, senior market analyst at currency firm Oanda.
Yet the Nasdaq looked set to recover some ground on Tuesday as government bond yields eased. The key 10-year Treasury note yield, which moves inversely to the price, dipped 5.7 basis points to 1.537% after rising above 1.6% the previous day.
The dollar index fell 0.32% to 92.01, with lower bond yields making dollar-denominated investments less attractive.
Investors' eyes will turn to US government bond auctions over the three days starting Tuesday, after an auction in February revealed weak demand and unnerved markets. Another weak auction could trigger a further rise in bond yields and hit stocks once again.
The $120 billion auctions "will be closely watched as litmus tests, with weak demand likely adding fuel to bearish sentiment," said Gennadiy Goldberg, senior US rates strategist at TD Securities, in a note.
Oil prices stabilized on Tuesday after falling sharply overnight, following a rapid uptick in the wake of an attack on Saudi Arabian oil facilities.
Brent crude oil was 0.66% higher at $68.69 a barrel, while WTI crude was 0.55% higher at $65.41 a barrel.
Bitcoin jumped around 9% to $54,200, a 2-week high. It was helped by renewed interest from institutions, with Goldman Sachs' head of digital assets Matt McDermott telling a podcast that 40% of 300 clients surveyed by the firm have exposure to crypto.