Investor Fear Eases Slightly Despite Dow Dipping Around 9% In September

The CNN Money Fear and Greed index showed some easing in the fear level after US stocks recorded losses for the week, month and quarter.

The Dow Jones settled below the 29,000 level for the first time since November 2020.

The Dow fell 1.71% to close at 28,725.51 on Friday, while the S&P 500 declined 1.51% to 3,585.62, notching a new 2022 low. The index also recorded its worst month since March 2020.

The 30-stock index fell 6.7% during the third quarter, also recording a third-consecutive losing quarter for the first time since 2015. For September, the Dow fell 8.8%, while the S&P 500 lost 9.3%.

The Nasdaq Composite dropped 1.51% to settle at 10,575.62 in the previous session.

At a current reading of 17.0, the index remained in the "extreme fear" zone, following a previous reading of 16.0.

What is CNN Business Fear & Greed Index?

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.