Markets wrap rough month driven by ‘Extreme Fear’
CNN
US stocks seesawed Friday, but all three major indexes closed the month in the red — a sign of increasing unease in markets.
US stocks seesawed Friday, but all three major indexes closed the month in the red — a sign of increasing unease in markets. Volatility gripped markets as traders closed out a dismal February that wiped out some gains. “Extreme fear” was the sentiment driving markets on Friday and for the fourth day in a row, according to CNN’s Fear and Greed Index. Stocks initially rose Friday morning, buoyed by cooling inflation data that provided relief for investors. Yet markets moved into the red midday following a very public heated exchange at the White House between President Donald Trump and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky that stoked uncertainty around geopolitical stability. The VIX, Wall Street’s fear gauge, popped to its highest level this year. In afternoon trading, markets recouped losses, and the major indexes surged higher to close out the day. The Dow ended the day up 601 points, or 1.39%, while the broader S&P 500 rose 1.59% and the Nasdaq Composite gained 1.63%. Yet US markets sputtered in February and slid this week. The benchmark S&P 500 slid 1% this week and is down 1.4% this month. The tech-heavy Nasdaq was down 3.5% this week and 4% this month, its worth month since April 2024.
