Investor Optimism Improves Following Earnings Reports; US Stocks Notch Weekly Gains

The CNN Money Fear and Greed index showed some improvement in the overall market sentiment, but the index remained in the “Fear” zone on Friday.

U.S. stocks settled higher on Friday, with the S&P 500 recording its best week since Nov, 2023. The index surged 2.7%, snapping a three-week losing streak, while the Dow added 0.7% last week.

On the economic data front, the Federal Reserve’s preferred measure of inflation – the Personal Consumption Expenditure (PCE) price index – rose more than expected in March. The headline PCE price index rose from 2.5% in February 2024 to 2.7% year-on-year in March, beating forecasts of a 2.6% increase, the Bureau of Economic Analysis reported Friday.

Alphabet Inc GOOG GOOGL shares gained around 10% on Friday after the company posted upbeat results for its first quarter. Alphabet's board authorized an additional share repurchase program of up to $70 billion and also announced its first-ever quarterly dividend. Microsoft Corp MSFT posted better-than-expected earnings and sales results for its third quarter on Thursday.

Most sectors on the S&P 500 closed on a positive note, with communication services, information technology and consumer discretionary stocks recording the biggest gains on Friday. However, utilities and energy stocks bucked the overall market trend, closing the session lower.

The Dow Jones closed higher by around 154 points to 38,239.66 on Friday. The S&P 500 added 1.02% at 5,099.96, while the Nasdaq Composite jumped 2.03% at 15,927.90 during Friday's session.

Investors are awaiting earnings results from ON Semiconductor Corporation ON, NXP Semiconductors N.V. NXPI and Domino’s Pizza, Inc. DPZ today.

At a current reading of 41.9, the index remained in the “Fear” zone on Thursday, versus a prior reading of 39.

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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