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

U.S. stocks settled higher on Thursday, with the Dow Jones index gaining around 250 points during the session after the Trump administration signed its first major trade agreement with the United Kingdom.

US Foods Holding Corp. ( USFD ) reported weaker-than-expected earnings for the first quarter on Thursday. Shares of Sezzle Inc ( SEZL ) jumped 42% on Thursday after the company reported better-than-expected first-quarter financial results and raised its FY25 guidance.

On the economic data front, U.S. initial jobless claims declined by 13,000 to 228,000 in the week ending May 3, compared to market estimates of 230,000. U.S. labor productivity in the nonfarm business sector declined by 0.8% during the first quarter compared to estimates of a 0.7% drop.

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

The Dow Jones closed higher by around 254 points to 41,368.45 on Thursday. The S&P 500 rose 0.58% to 5,663.94, while the Nasdaq Composite gained 1.07% at 17,928.14 during Thursday's session.

Investors are awaiting earnings results from EchoStar Corporation ( SATS ) and Plains All American Pipeline, L.P. ( PAA ) today.

At a current reading of 61.6, the index was in the “Greed” zone on Thursday, versus a prior reading of 59.2.

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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