Dow, S&P 500 Reach Fresh Highs: Investor Sentiment Improves, Fear Index Remains In ‘Greed’ Zone – Best Buy Co (NYSE:BBY), Bath & Body Works (NYSE:BBWI)

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

U.S. stocks settled higher on Friday, with the Dow Jones index and S&P 500 hitting fresh records during the session. Major indices on Wall Street recorded gains last week, with the Dow gaining around 2% and the S&P 500 adding around 1.7%.

Bath & Body Works, Inc. BBWI shares jumped around 16.5% on Monday after the company reported better-than-expected third-quarter results and raised its 2024 outlook.

On the economic data front, the Chicago Fed National Activity Index fell to -0.40 in October compared to -0.27 in the previous month and versus market estimates of -0.20. The Dallas Fed’s Texas manufacturing activity index rose to -2.7 in November compared to a reading of -3 in the previous month and versus market estimates of -2.4.

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

The Dow Jones closed higher by around 440 points to 44,736.57 on Monday. The S&P 500 rose 0.30% to 5,987.37, while the Nasdaq Composite rose 0.27% to close at 19,054.84 during Monday’s session.

Investors are awaiting earnings results from Best Buy Co., Inc. BBY, HP Inc. HPQ, and Dell Technologies Inc. DELL today.

What is CNN Business Fear & Greed Index?

At a current reading of 61.5, the index remained in the “Greed” zone on Monday, versus a prior reading of 60.8.

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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