Market Downturn: Corporate Guidance and Leveraged Funds Trigger Significant Stock Declines

Font: Financial Modeling Prep  • Jul 14, 2026

• Corporate guidance, particularly revenue forecasts, can significantly impact investor sentiment and trigger stock sell-offs.
• Leveraged ETFs amplify market movements, with inverse funds indicating strong underlying asset performance when they experience sharp declines.
• High trading volumes often accompany substantial price changes, reflecting strong investor reactions to company-specific news and broader market pressures.

Several companies are experiencing significant stock market declines today, led by leveraged funds and major public companies. High trading volumes suggest investors are reacting strongly to company-specific news. The market downturns highlight various pressures, from corporate financial outlooks to the inherent risks of complex financial products.

International Business Machines Corporation (NYSE:IBM) shares fall $73.16, or 25.21%, to $217.07. Trading volume is exceptionally high at 66.68 million shares. The drop follows the company's guidance that it expects its Infrastructure revenue to decline by low-single digits for the year.

This forecast comes after the recent success of its z17 mainframe program, which was the strongest in its history. The negative outlook for a core business segment like Infrastructure appears to be the primary driver behind the significant investor sell-off.

Other notable losers include Z Squared Inc. (NASDAQ:ZSQR), which drops 22.22% to $5.60. The company recently appointed a new Chief Technology Officer. Agenus Inc. (NASDAQ:AGEN), a biotech stock, also falls 16.99% to $5.08 on a robust volume of 11.04 million shares.

Leveraged ETFs also see major declines. The GraniteShares 2x Short SK Hynix Daily ETF (NASDAQ:SKDD) plummets 43.07% to $11.22. As a short ETF, it aims to deliver twice the *inverse* performance of SK Hynix stock. This sharp drop indicates the underlying stock is performing very well.

Similarly, the Leverage Shares 2x Long NBIS Daily ETF (NASDAQ:NBIG) falls 15.59% to $18.09. This fund seeks to amplify the daily gains of NBIS stock, so its decline points to a notable drop in the underlying asset. Today's losers show how corporate earnings forecasts and financial product structures drive market movements.