The CNN Money Fear and Greed index showed an increase in the overall fear level, while the index remained in the “Fear” zone on Thursday.

U.S. stocks settled lower on Thursday, with the Dow Jones index falling almost 800 points during the session.

West Texas Intermediate crude surged to its highest level since January 2025, compounding inflation fears and driving Treasury yields sharply higher. Hundreds of vessels remained anchored in the Persian Gulf as the U.S. Navy escorted tankers through the Strait of Hormuz.

In earnings, The Kroger Co. ( KR ) posted mixed results for the fourth quarter on Thursday. BJ’s Wholesale Club Holdings Inc. reported upbeat earnings for the fourth quarter.

On the economic data front, U.S. initial jobless claims came in unchanged from the previous week at 213,000 in the final week of February, compared to market estimates of 215,000. Unit labor costs in the nonfarm business sector increased by 2.8% in the fourth quarter, following a 1.8% decline in the previous quarter. Labor productivity in the nonfarm business sector increased 2.8% in the fourth quarter following 5.2% growth in the previous quarter.

Most sectors on the S&P 500 closed on a negative note, with consumer staples, materials and industrials stocks recording the biggest losses on Thursday. However, energy and information technology stocks bucked the overall market trend, closing the session higher.

The Dow Jones closed lower by around 785 points to 47,954.74 on Thursday. The S&P 500 fell 0.56% to 6,830.71, while the Nasdaq Composite declined 0.26% at 22,748.99 during Thursday's session.

Investors are awaiting earnings results from Genesco Inc ( GCO ) , Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp ( AQNB ) and Embraer S.A. ( EMBJ ) today.

What is CNN Business Fear & Greed Index?

At a current reading of 33.8, the index remained in the “Fear” zone on Thursday, versus a prior reading of 37.2.

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.