S&P 500 Settles Above 7,100 for First Time As Hormuz Reopens: Investor Sentiment Improves Further, Fear & Greed Index In 'Greed' Zone

Benzinga04-20 17:30

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

U.S. stocks settled higher on Friday, with the S&P 500 recording the first close above the 7,100 level after Iran announced the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz for commercial vessels.

Crude oil prices fell sharply on Friday, easing fears of an energy-driven stagflation shock that had weighed on markets for weeks.

Stocks also recorded sharp gains last week, with the blue-chip Dow adding 3.2% and the S&P 500 surging 4.5%.

In earnings, Netflix Inc (NASDAQ:NFLX) shares dipped around 10% on Friday as the company reported better-than-expected financial results for the first quarter of 2026 after the market close on Thursday. Shares of Autoliv Inc (NYSE:ALV) rose around 7% after the company reported upbeat first-quarter financial results.

On the economic data front, U.S. Baker Hughes oil rig count fell by 1 to 410 during the recent week.

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

The Dow Jones closed higher by around 869 points to 49,447.43 on Friday. The S&P 500 surged 1.20% to 7,126.06, while the Nasdaq Composite jumped 1.52% at 24,468.48 during Friday's session.

Investors are awaiting earnings results from Cleveland-Cliffs Inc (NYSE:CLF), Steel Dynamics Inc (NASDAQ:STLD) and Zions Bancorporation (NASDAQ:ZION) today.

At a current reading of 68.1, the index remained in the “Greed” zone on Friday, versus a prior reading of 63.3.

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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