Why are these ASX tech shares getting smashed today?

Owners of these two stocks are missing out today.

| More on:

You’re reading a free article with opinions that may differ from The Motley Fool’s Premium Investing Services. Become a Motley Fool member today to get instant access to our top analyst recommendations, in-depth research, investing resources, and more. Learn More

It's been a great start to the week for the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) and most ASX 200 shares so far this Monday. At the time of writing, the ASX 200 has gained a pleasing 0.89% and is back up to around 7,840 points. But let's talk about a few ASX tech shares that are going the other way.

Not all ASX 200 shares are getting lifted by today's market goodwill. Take the Block Inc (ASX: SQ2) share price. It's currently down a chunky 2.64% at $124.76 a share.

It's been even worse for Life360 Inc (ASX: 360) shareholders. Life360 shares are presently nursing a loss of 3.72% and have fallen to $13.19 a share.

The strange thing is that these two ASX tech shares seem to be outliers, not only on the broader ASX, but in their tech sector. ASX tech shares are, on the whole, having just as good a time as the ASX 200 Index.

Right now, the S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) is up a rosy 1.3%. And other tech stocks like Xero Ltd (ASX: XRO) and WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC) are enjoying comfortable rises.

So what's going wrong with these two shares in particular?

A man looking at his laptop and thinking.

Image source: Getty Images

Why are these ASX tech shares getting sold off this Monday?

Well, there's no fresh ASX news out of either of these tech shares this Monday. Or indeed for a while.

However, you might notice that both Life360 and Block have something in common.

Both are US shares with secondary ASX listings. Block's primary home is the New York Stock Exchange under the Block Inc (NYSE: SQ) listing.

Life360 calls the ASX home, and isn't listed on the American markets, despite an aborted attempt to establish a Nasdaq listing last year. However, this company is still headquartered and based in the United States.

Last Friday's trading on the tech-heavy Nasdaq saw many US tech stocks take a haircut. Tech shares like PayPal, Microsoft and Tesla were all down during Friday night's trading. That also included Block's US shares.

Block stock crashed a meaningful 3.9% last Friday down to US$80.77 a share. This might have been due to some large sales from institutional investors.

So this probably explains why Block's ASX listing is suffering today. Both investments represent the same shares of the same company, so what happens on the US markets is almost always the largest deciding factor as to how the ASX shares fare the following session.

Perhaps Life360 investors are just making the company guilty by association here.

So all in all, a good day for most ASX 200 shares today, but not for these two ASX tech outliers.

Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen has positions in Microsoft, PayPal and Tesla. The Motley Fool Australia's parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Block, Life360, Microsoft, PayPal, Tesla, WiseTech Global, and Xero. The Motley Fool Australia's parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft, short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft, and short March 2024 $67.50 calls on PayPal. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Block, WiseTech Global, and Xero. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended PayPal. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

More on Technology Shares

A male investor wearing a white shirt and blue suit jacket sits at his desk looking at his laptop with his hands to his chin, waiting in anticipation.
Technology Shares

EOS shares tumble 8% as insider selling ramps up

EOS shares fall as insider selling weighs on sentiment.

Read more »

A woman sits at her computer with her hand to her mouth and a contemplative smile on her face as she reads about the performance of Allkem shares on her computer
Technology Shares

Should I buy this ASX 200 tech stock at a 52-week low?

Not every stock hitting a 52-week low is a bargain. But with strong growth and improving fundamentals, this may be…

Read more »

a man wearing spectacles has a satisfied look on his face as he appears within a graphic image of graphs, computer code and technology related symbols while he concentrates on a computer screen
Technology Shares

Are these the smartest ASX tech stocks to buy now with $2,000?

When high-quality tech stocks fall sharply, it can create opportunity.

Read more »

Green arrow going up on stock market chart, symbolising a rising share price.
Technology Shares

2 ASX tech shares that could double from here

Despite sharp recent falls, brokers continue to back these growth stocks.

Read more »

A young man talks tech on his phone while looking at a laptop with a financial graph superimposed across the image.
Technology Shares

Xero shares rise again. Is this the start of a turnaround?

Xero shares rise but remain down 30% in 2026.

Read more »

A man sits with his head in his hand, looking quite dejected, as he holds a rubber tipped pen on the screen of a computer showing a graph trending downwards.
Technology Shares

Has the WiseTech stock finally hit rock bottom?

WiseTech shares slide 34% this year as selling pressure begins easing.

Read more »

A female soldier flies a drone using hand-held controls.
Technology Shares

Electro Optic Systems just had its DroneShield moment. Here's what investors should know

Stocks like EOS and DroneShield can deliver exceptional returns, but those returns come with volatility.

Read more »

A doctor appears shocked as he looks through binoculars on a blue background.
Technology Shares

Up over 900%: Is it too late to buy this incredible ASX tech stock?

The ASX stock has come off the boil in 2026 as investors pull back.

Read more »