Why Fear Level Among US Investors Is Increasing

The CNN Money Fear and Greed index showed further increase in the fear level among U.S. investors.

US stocks closed higher on Thursday as traders lowered their rate hike bets by the Federal Reserve. The US central bank raised rates by 25 basis points Wednesday.

Technology stocks outperformed during the session, with the SPDR Technology Select Sector adding around 1.6%.

Accenture plc ACN shares gained over 7% on Thursday after the company reported better-than-expected Q2 results.

The Dow closed higher by around 75 points to 32,105.25 on Thursday. The S&P 500 rose 0.30% to 3,948.72, while the Nasdaq Composite added 1.01% to settle at 11,787.40 during the session.

Investors are awaiting earnings results from Express, Inc. EXPR and Motorsport Games Inc. MSGM today.

At a current reading of 34.0, the index remained in the "Fear" zone., versus a previous reading of 37.0

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.

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