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

U.S. stocks settled higher on Wednesday, with the Nasdaq Composite gaining more than 1% during the session as upbeat corporate earnings and renewed investor optimism outweighed concerns over escalating trade tensions.

Apple Inc. ( AAPL ) led the charge among mega-cap names, jumping around 5% after the White House unveiled a new $100 billion manufacturing investment plan aimed at boosting domestic production.

Uber Technologies Inc. ( UBER ) reported better-than-expected fiscal second-quarter 2025 results on Wednesday. McDonald's Corp. posted better-than-expected second-quarter financial results.

On the economic data front, the volume of mortgage applications in the US increased by 3.1% from the previous week during the final week of July, compared to a 3.8% decline from the prior period.

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

The Dow Jones closed higher by around 81 points to 44,193.12 on Wednesday. The S&P 500 rose 0.73% to 6,345.06, while the Nasdaq Composite jumped 1.21% to 21,169.42 during Wednesday's session.

At a current reading of 55.2, the index remained in the “Neutral” zone on Wednesday, versus a prior reading of 53.9.

What is CNN Business Fear & Greed Index?

Investors are awaiting earnings results from Eli Lilly And Co. ( LLY ) , ConocoPhillips ( COP ) and Block Inc. ( XYZ ) today.

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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