Smith & Nephew PLC (SNN) shares plunged 6.84% in the 24-hour period ending in Tuesday's pre-market session, marking a sharp decline for the medical device maker.

The drop occurred after the New York Stock Exchange reported a sell-side order imbalance of 41,040 shares for SNN during the prior session. Such an imbalance indicates that sell orders significantly outweighed buy orders, creating downward pressure on the stock price.

No other company-specific news or broader market catalysts were identified, suggesting the order imbalance was the primary driver of the sell-off.