US markets have sunk with the Nasdaq pulled down more than two per cent by a tech stock rout led by Apple and Microsoft as a raft of disappointing earnings and trimmed forecasts spooked investors.

At the closing bell on Friday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 187.92 points (1.39 per cent) at 13,361.02.

The broad-based S&P 500 lost 24.17 (1.66 per cent) at 1,433.17, and the Nasdaq Composite was off 67.25 points (2.19 per cent) at 3,005.62.

“There isn’t any earnings-reporting momentum right now and guidance, when provided, has been generally cautious.

Against that backdrop, we can understand why the market has struggled to break through resistance,” said Patrick O’Hare at Briefing.com.

Revenue rather than profits disappointments in earnings reports grabbed the focus of investors.