Benzinga·2025-04-09 07:48Market Overview - U.S. stocks experienced a decline, with the Dow Jones index falling over 300 points, closing lower by approximately 320 points to 37,645.59 [1][4] - The S&P 500 decreased by 1.57% to 4,982.77, while the Nasdaq Composite dipped 2.15% to 15,267.91 during the session [4] Economic Indicators - The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index fell by 3.3 points to a reading of 97.4 in March, marking its lowest level since October 2024 and below market expectations of 101.3 [3] Sector Performance - All sectors on the S&P 500 closed negatively, with consumer discretionary, materials, and energy stocks experiencing the largest losses [3] Company Performance - Among the "Magnificent Seven," Apple Inc. saw a significant drop of 5%, Tesla Inc. decreased by 4.9%, and Amazon.com Inc. fell by 2.6%. Nvidia Corp. shares also declined by 1.4% [2] - Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. reported better-than-expected earnings for its second quarter [2] Investor Sentiment - The CNN Money Fear and Greed index indicated an increase in overall fear, remaining in the "Extreme Fear" zone with a current reading of 3.8, down from a prior reading of 4.5 [1][5]