S&P 500 Surges 1% As Oil Prices Fall: Fear & Greed Index Remains In 'Extreme Fear' Zone

The CNN Money Fear and Greed index showed almost no change in the overall fear level, while the index remained in the “Extreme Fear” zone on Monday.

U.S. stocks settled higher on Monday, with the S&P 500 gaining around 1% during the session as oil prices pulled back.

The S&P 500 recorded a 1.6% loss last week, while the 30-stock Dow dipped about 2%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq declined 1.3% during the week.

Speaking ahead of a Kennedy Center board meeting, Trump urged China, Japan and other Asia-Pacific nations heavily dependent on Hormuz oil flows to help police the waterway. China draws 90% of its oil from the strait, while Japan and South Korea draw 95% and 35%, respectively.

In earnings, Dollar Tree Inc. (NASDAQ:DLTR) reported upbeat earnings for the fourth quarter on Monday.

On the economic data front, the NY Empire State Manufacturing Index declined to -0.2 in March from 7.1 in the previous month, down from market estimates of 3.2. The NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index rose to 38 in March from 37 in the previous month, versus market estimates of 37. U.S. industrial production rose 0.2% month-over-month in February, compared to market estimates of 0.1%.

All sectors on the S&P 500 closed on a positive note, with information technology, consumer discretionary and communication services stocks recording the biggest gains on Monday.

The Dow Jones closed higher by around 388 points to 46,946.41 on Monday. The S&P 500 jumped 1.01% to 6,699.38, while the Nasdaq Composite gained 1.22% at 22,374.18 during Monday's session.

Investors are awaiting earnings results from Academy Sports and Outdoors Inc. (NASDAQ:ASO), Elbit Systems Ltd. (NASDAQ:ESLT) and Lululemon Athletica Inc. (NASDAQ:LULU) today.

What Is CNN Business Fear & Greed Index?

At a current reading of 22.4, the index remained in the “Extreme Fear” zone on Monday, versus a prior reading of 22.6.

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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