Wall Street's weak overnight performance and surging bond yields paved the way for another weak session for ASX 200 tech shares.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite fell 93 points or 0.64%. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed a respective 0.69% and 0.72% lower.
Despite it only being Tuesday, the S&P/ ASX 200 Info Tech (INDEXASX: XIJ) index has already declined 4.1% so far this week.
Tech heavyweights Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT), Xero Limited (ASX: XRO) and WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC) have led the losses, falling 6.7%, 4.6% and 4.2% this week.
Other notable losers include Zip Co Ltd (ASX: Z1P) and Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1) which are down a respective 4.6% and 2.6%.
What's driving ASX 200 tech shares lower?
Tech investors continue to fixate on bond yields, most notably the US 10-year Treasury yield which surged to a 5-month high of 1.64% during overnight trade.
Treasury yields have pushed higher after the US Federal Reserve hinted that it may soon wind back its asset purchasing program and eye a rate hike in late 2022.
The Fed, and central banks globally, are concerned about persistently high levels of inflation.
Factors such as elevated demand, surging energy prices and supply-side shortages are driving up core consumer prices.
"High or rapid increase in energy costs have triggered recessions in the past and there is a possibility that history could repeat itself if energy prices continue to rise. Higher energy prices result in lower disposable income for consumers," Bernstein's Neil Beveridge said, according to CNBC.
Rising bond yields and the prospect of higher interest rates in the US have weighed on ASX 200 tech shares.
After all, higher interest rates make all-important future cash flows appear less valuable in the present.
Tech shares are sometimes referred to as "long duration" assets as they are expected to deliver a higher proportion of cash flows in the distant future.
This is why richly-valued tech shares are cratering under the prospect of higher interest rates whereas strong cash flow sectors, like financials and real estate, are standing tall.
