Institutions dumping tech
Institutional investors accelerated net selling of US tech last week — hedge funds’ net selling was the largest since Sept 2024 and the third‑largest in five years. Traders are rotating into structurally strong names like SNDK, KLAC, TER, ARM and cyclical chemicals (CF, LIN, NTR) while banking and financial shares remain under pressure per major banks. ( )
Goldman Sachs Prime Services reported that global equities experienced the largest net selling since April 2025 in the most recent week, according to its client note summarised by market outlets. (seekingalpha.com) That same note said speculators had shorted equities for a fifth straight week as hedge funds increased bets against U.S. shares, a shift Reuters flagged in coverage on March 23, 2026. (marketscreener.com) Goldman separately identified financials as the most‑sold sector in the week to March 13, saying hedge funds “aggressively” shorted banks, insurers and fintech names during that period. (money.usnews.com) Several major U.S. banks — including Citigroup, Bank of America and Wells Fargo — released late‑quarter results in early March that coincided with the sector’s underperformance. (markets.financialcontent.com) The storage spin‑off SanDisk began regular trading on Feb. 24, 2025 after Western Digital split its flash business, and brokers/options desks have since reported outsized flows and heightened options activity into the new SNDK listing. (geekersdigest.com) Semiconductor equipment KLA announced a $7 billion buyback and a 21% dividend increase at its 2026 Investor Day, a corporate action that desks say helped reignite buying across tool suppliers. (ir.kla.com) Teradyne has posted roughly a 53% return over the past three months and its rapid moves have attracted institutional trading and analyst coverage, according to recent market summaries. (simplywall.st) Arm continues to trade as a primary way for investors to express AI exposure after a quarter of accelerating royalty revenue and elevated market volume. (finance.yahoo.com) In basic‑materials and cyclical chemicals, CF Industries jumped about 13% on March 13 amid fertilizer‑supply concerns, while Jefferies upgraded Nutrien to Buy with a $96 target the same week — both moves that drew capital into the segment. (financialcontent.com) Linde’s Q4 beat and reaffirmed 2026 guidance also supported flows into industrial cyclicals, according to company filings and market summaries. (stockanalysis.com) Bank desks and prime‑services notes warned that ongoing pressure on banking and financial shares — amplified by hedge‑fund shorting — has kept the sector a drag on broader market breadth in recent weeks. (financialcontent.com)
