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

U.S. stocks settled mixed on Tuesday, with the Dow Jones index falling around 0.2% during the session as escalating military action in the Middle East and surging oil prices kept investors on the defensive.

President Donald Trump stated that "a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again," warning that unless Iran's leadership agrees to a deal that includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz by 8 p.m. Eastern Time, the U.S. could target key Iranian infrastructure, including power plants and bridges.

However, after the closing bell, Donald Trump announced a two-week ceasefire with Iran.

Mach Natural Resources LP ( MNR ) shares dropped around 11% on Tuesday after the company announced a secondary public offering of 9 million units.

On the economic data front, U.S. durable-goods orders declined by 1.4% month-over-month to $315.5 billion in February, following a revised 0.5% fall in the previous month, recording the third consecutive decline in orders. U.S. private employers created an average of 26,000 jobs per week during the four weeks ending March 21, compared to the 15,250 weekly jobs added in the prior period.

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

The Dow Jones closed lower by around 85 points to 46,584.46 on Tuesday. The S&P 500 rose 0.08% to 6,616.85, while the Nasdaq Composite surged 0.10% at 22,017.85 during Tuesday's session.

Investors are awaiting earnings results from Delta Air Lines Inc. ( DAL ) , RPM International Inc. ( RPM ) and Constellation Brands Inc. ( STZ ) today.

What Is CNN Business Fear & Greed Index?

At a current reading of 22.1, the index remained in the “Extreme Fear” zone on Tuesday, versus a prior reading of 22.5.

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.