Tech Shares Tumble Again as Regulatory Risks Rattle Investors

Technology stocks are suffering one of their worst beatings in years, as investors reassess a sector that has been considered the growth engine of the global economy but now faces the prospect of greater regulatory scrutiny.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index fell 2.9% Tuesday. That selloff carried over to the broader market, where the S&P 500 index slumped 1.7%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1.4%, giving back some of Monday’s 2.8% rebound.

U.S. Treasury yields also declined. Analysts said that reflected in part a move by some investors to reduce risk at the end of the quarter by selling stocks and putting that cash into bonds. Bond prices rise when yields fall.

But tech shares were hit the hardest, dragging down the broader market in the final hour of trading. A series of recent developments pointed to more government oversight of the industry.

Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg is planning to testify before Congress about the social-media company’s privacy and data-use standards, according to people familiar with the matter. The company’s shares fell 4.9% on Tuesday and are down 15% this month over concerns about its handling of user data, on track for its worst monthly decline since 2012.

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