US Stocks Settle At Record Highs: Investor Sentiment Improves, Fear & Greed Index Remains In 'Neutral' Zone

Market Sentiment - The CNN Money Fear and Greed index showed improvement in overall market sentiment, with a current reading of 51.3, indicating a "Neutral" zone compared to a prior reading of 50.2 [5] - U.S. stocks closed higher, with all three major indices reaching record highs during the session [1] Labor Market Data - The Bureau of Labor Statistics revised down nonfarm payroll jobs by 911,000 between April 2024 and March 2025, suggesting an earlier cooling of the labor market than previously anticipated [1][2] Sector Performance - Most sectors on the S&P 500 closed positively, with utilities, health care, and communication services stocks showing the largest gains, while materials and industrials stocks closed lower [3] - UnitedHealth Inc. saw a significant increase of over 8% after providing a positive outlook on its Medicare Advantage business [2] Market Indices - The Dow Jones increased by approximately 196 points to close at 45,711.34, the S&P 500 rose by 0.27% to 6,512.61, and the Nasdaq Composite gained 0.37% to reach 21,879.49 [3] Upcoming Earnings - Investors are anticipating earnings results from Chewy Inc., Daktronics Inc., and Oxford Industries Inc. [4]