Dow Jumps Over 200 Points Despite Shutdown: Investor Sentiment Edges Higher, Fear & Greed Index Remains In 'Neutral' Zone - Aehr Test System (NASDAQ:AEHR)

Market Sentiment - The CNN Money Fear and Greed index showed improvement in overall market sentiment, remaining in the "Neutral" zone with a reading of 53.8, slightly up from 53.7 [5] - U.S. stocks settled mostly higher, with the Dow Jones index gaining over 200 points, as investors dismissed concerns over a government shutdown and a missing jobs report [1][3] Stock Performance - All three major indices recorded gains last week, with the S&P 500 increasing approximately 1.1% and the Dow also rising by 1.1% [1] - The Dow Jones closed higher by around 239 points to 46,758.28, while the S&P 500 rose 0.01% to 6,715.79, and the Nasdaq Composite declined 0.28% to 22,780.51 [3] Sector Performance - Most sectors on the S&P 500 closed positively, with utilities, health care, and financial stocks showing the biggest gains, while consumer discretionary and communication services stocks closed lower [3] Employment Data - The Bureau of Labor Statistics did not publish its monthly jobs report due to the government shutdown, but private data indicated labor market softening [2] - The ADP Employment Report indicated the largest private-sector job loss in over two years, and the ISM Services PMI showed its fourth consecutive month of contraction in the employment component [2] Upcoming Earnings - Investors are awaiting earnings results from Constellation Brands Inc. (NYSE:STZ) and Aehr Test Systems (NASDAQ:AEHR) [4]