Nasdaq Settles Higher As Tech Stocks Rebound: Investor Sentiment Improves, Greed Index Remains In ‘Fear’ Zone – Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ:PANW)
The CNN Money Fear and Greed index showed some easing in the overall fear level, while the index remained in the “Fear” zone on Wednesday.
U.S. stocks settled higher on Wednesday, with the Dow Jones index gaining more than 100 points during the session as investors digested the release of the minutes from the Federal Reserve’s latest policy meeting.
On the economic data front, U.S. industrial production increased 0.7% month-over-month in January, compared to market estimates of a 0.4% gain. U.S. durable goods orders fell by 1.4% month-over-month in December, compared to a revised 5.4% gain in November.
Most sectors on the S&P 500 closed on a positive note, with consumer discretionary, energy and information technology stocks recording the biggest gains on Wednesday. However, real estate and utilities stocks bucked the overall market trend, closing the session lower.
The Dow Jones closed higher by around 129 points to 49,662.66 on Wednesday. The S&P 500 rose 0.56% to 6,881.31, while the Nasdaq Composite rose 0.78% at 22,753.63 during Wednesday’s session.
What Is CNN Business Fear & Greed Index?
At a current reading of 40.3, the index remained in the “Fear” zone on Wednesday, versus a prior reading of 37.8.
The Fear & Greed Index is a measure of the current market sentiment. It is based on the premise that higher fear exerts pressure on stock prices, while higher greed has the opposite effect. The index is calculated based on seven equal-weighted indicators. The index ranges from 0 to 100, where 0 represents maximum fear and 100 signals maximum greediness.
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock
Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs
© 2026 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
To add Benzinga News as your preferred source on Google, click here.
