US equity markets weaker, with the technology sector under fresh selling pressure and comments from US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen hinting at higher interest rates - Dow edged +20-points or +0.06% higher, clawing its way back into positive territory in the closing minutes of trading after having dropped over >300-points earlier in the session. The broader S&P500 lost -0.67% Ford Motor Co -1.89% that total U.S. April vehicle sales rose +64.8% from a year ago to 197,813 vehicles, boosted by a near fourfold rise in electric vehicle (EV) sales (up +262% to a monthly record of 11,172 vehicles, representing 5.6% of total vehicles sold). April retail sales were 57.1% above 2020 results, but were also 23.7% above pre-pandemic April 2019 results. The Nasdaq dropped -1.88% to log its worst session since 18 March, with Apple Inc down -3.54%, Amazon.com Inc -2.20%, Google parent Alphabet Inc -1.71%, Netflix Inc -1.16% and Microsoft Corp -1.62% all logging falls. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 fell -1.28%. Volume on U.S. exchanges was 12.21B shares, the highest in over a month. U.S. and European stock markets saw a sudden 0.5% drop in hefty volumes around 1130 GMT, leaving traders scratching their heads and one calling it a "micro flash-crash".
