Big tech firms saw their sales jump in the pandemic as locked-down consumers and workers came to rely more on their technology. But the sector’s fortunes look bleaker in the current climate. Sales at the tech giants Alphabet and Microsoft have slowed sharply, adding to fears of a downturn in the economy. Microsoft said demand for its computers and other technology had weakened while Alphabet, which owns Google and YouTube, said sales rose just 6% in the three months to September, to $69bn, as firms cut their advertising budgets. Which sector is the most promising during this period ?

