Afterpay & Zip lower, AGL signs Portland Smelter deal

At lunch on Friday the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is off its intraday low but still trading lower for the day. The benchmark index is currently down 0.3% to 6,726.1 points.

Here’s what is happening on the market today:

Tech shares act as a drag

Australian tech shares including Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT) and Zip Co Limited (ASX: Z1P) are acting as a drag on the ASX 200 on Friday. This follows a selloff of US tech stocks overnight after bond yields surged to new 14-month highs. Positively, though, with US futures pointing higher, many tech shares are now recovering from their lows for the day.

Fortescue raises US$1.5 billion

The…