A broad sell-off in the technology sector led US equity markets markedly lower overnight - Dow down -336-points or -1.35%, erasing all of the year-to-date gains and then some (to now be down -0.4% in 2018). The broader S&P500 shed -1.42%, with all eleven primary sectors closing in the red, led by the technology sector. The technology-centric NASDAQ tumbled -1.84%, with Facebook Inc skidding -6.8% lower - the biggest one-day percentage decline since 26 March, 2014 - as the social-media giant has ignited a firestorm over third-parties’ access to Facebook users’ personal data. Data firm Cambridge Analytica reportedly harvested the private information of 50 million Facebook users without their permission ahead of the 2016 US Presidential election. Only one constituent in the Nasdaq-100 (Ross Stores Inc up +0.20%) finished in positive territory. Separately, The Washington Post is reporting that President Trump is preparing unveil a package of US$60B in annual tariffs against China this Friday (23 March) that could be applied to more than >100 products. It was earlier reported by Reuters that forty-five U.S. trade associations — which represent some of the biggest firms in the country — have urged President Donald Trump to not inflict tariffs on China, stating in a letter that this would likely be "particularly harmful" to both U.S. consumers and the economy
