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

U.S. stocks settled higher on Friday, with the Dow Jones index gaining around 300 points during the session following the release of inflation data.

Inflation figures released Friday showed no surprises but indicated the Fed's need for caution on its rate-cut cycle. The Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) price index rose 2.7% year-over-year in August, up from 2.6% in July, matching forecasts. The core PCE, which excludes food and energy and is closely watched by the Fed, remained flat at 2.9%, in line with expectations.

Major indices, however, recorded losses last week, with the Nasdaq Composite falling 0.7% and S&P 500 losing 0.3%. The Dow also fell 0.2% during the week.

Intel Corp. ( INTC ) surged more than 4% on Friday, extending its weekly gain to around 20% following last week's 22% advance. The chipmaker continues to ride the momentum of Nvidia Corp's ( NVDA ) $5 billion investment pledge, which reinvigorated investor enthusiasm.

Most sectors on the S&P 500 closed on a positive note, with materials, utilities and consumer discretionary stocks recording the biggest gains on Friday. However, consumer staples stocks bucked the overall market trend, closing the session lower.

The Dow Jones closed higher by around 300 points to 46,247.29 on Friday. The S&P 500 rose 0.59% to 6,643.70, while the Nasdaq Composite gained 0.44% at 22,484.07 during Friday's session.

Investors are awaiting earnings results from Carnival Corp ( CCL ) , Progress Software Corp ( PRGS ) and Jefferies Financial Group Inc ( JEF ) today.

At a current reading of 52.8, the index remained in the “Neutral” zone on Friday, versus a prior reading of 51.9.

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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