The CNN Money Fear and Greed index showed a further increase in the overall fear level, while the index remained in the “Fear” zone on Friday.
U.S. stocks settled lower on Friday, with the Dow Jones index falling more than 450 points during the session.
Stocks also recorded losses last week, with the S&P 500 losing 2% and the 30-stock Dow dropping 3%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq also declined 1.2% during the week.
President Donald Trump issued a stark ultimatum to Iran, demanding unconditional surrender and warning of devastating consequences should attacks on U.S. forces continue. Qatar's energy minister warned oil could surge past $150 should the Strait of Hormuz fully close.
Oil prices jumped to the highest levels since October 2023. Crude has rallied nearly 35% for the week, recording the biggest weekly gain in the commodities' trading history.
In earnings, Marvell Technology Inc. (NASDAQ:MRVL) shares jumped over 18% on Friday after the company reported better-than-expected quarterly financial results. Shares of Owlet Inc. (NYSE:OWLT) dipped 38% after the company reported fourth-quarter financial results.
On the economic data front, U.S. retail sales fell by 0.2% from the previous month in January, compared to market estimates of a 0.3% decline. The U.S. economy lost 92,000 nonfarm payrolls in February 2026, according to data released Friday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The figure marked a sharp slowdown from January's downwardly revised 126,000 job gains and came well below economists' expectations of 59,000. The unemployment rate ticked up from 4.3% to 4.4%, above forecasts of 4.3%. Average hourly earnings rose 0.4% month-over-month, matching January's pace and topping consensus estimates of 0.3%.
Most sectors on the S&P 500 closed on a negative note, with consumer discretionary, materials and information technology stocks recording the biggest losses on Friday. However, energy and consumer staples stocks bucked the overall market trend, closing the session higher.
The Dow Jones closed lower by around 453 points to 47,501.55 on Friday. The S&P 500 fell 1.33% to 6,740.02, while the Nasdaq Composite declined 1.59% at 22,387.68 during Friday's session.
Investors are awaiting earnings results from Korn Ferry (NYSE:KFY), Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co. (NYSE:HPE) and Caseys General Stores Inc. (NASDAQ:CASY) today.
What Is CNN Business Fear & Greed Index?
At a current reading of 26.7, the index remained in the “Fear” zone on Friday, versus a prior reading of 28.3.
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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