The CNN Money Fear and Greed index showed a slight easing in the overall fear level, while the index remained in the “Fear” zone on Tuesday.

U.S. stocks settled lower on Tuesday, with the Nasdaq Composite falling around 175 points during the session.

Although major indices settled lower on the final trading session of the year, they still recorded gains in 2024. The S&P 500 surged 23.31% in 2024, after recording a gain of 24.2% during 2023. Meanwhile, the Dow jumped 12.88% last year, while the Nasdaq outperformed with a rally of 28.64%.

Shares of Nvidia Corp. ( NVDA ) jumped 171% last year, recording fresh highs in 2024. The U.S. stock market was closed on Wednesday for New Year's Day

On the economic data front, the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller home price index rose 4.2% year-over-year in October compared to a 4.6% increase in September, versus market estimates of a 4.1% rise. The FHFA house price index rose by 0.4% in October versus market estimates of a 0.5% increase. The Dallas Fed general business activity index for Texas' service sector fell to 9.6 in December compared to 9.8 in November.

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

The Dow Jones closed lower by around 30 points to 42,544.22 on Tuesday. The S&P 500 fell 0.43% to 5,881.63, while the Nasdaq Composite dipped 0.90% to 19,310.79 during Tuesday's session.

Investors are awaiting earnings results from Resources Connection, Inc ( RGP ). and Lifecore Biomedical, Inc ( LFCR ). today.

What is CNN Business Fear & Greed Index?

At a current reading of 27.9, the index remained in the “Fear” zone on Tuesday, versus a prior reading of 27.1.

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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