Benzinga·2025-10-31 07:13Market Overview - The CNN Money Fear and Greed index increased in overall fear level, remaining in the "Fear" zone with a current reading of 37.1, down from 40.4 [1][6] - U.S. stocks closed lower, with the Nasdaq Composite dropping more than 350 points, influenced by mixed earnings from major companies and hawkish comments from Fed Chair Jerome Powell [1][4] Federal Reserve Actions - The Federal Reserve lowered interest rates by 25 basis points to a range of 3.75%-4.00% for the second consecutive meeting, but Powell indicated that further cuts are not guaranteed [2] Company Performance - Meta Platforms Inc. shares fell over 11% due to significant new AI-related capital expenditures [3] - Microsoft Corp. experienced a nearly 3% decline despite exceeding analysts' expectations [3] - Alphabet Inc. saw a 2.5% increase in its stock price [3] Sector Performance - Most sectors in the S&P 500 ended negatively, with consumer discretionary, communication services, and information technology experiencing the largest losses [4] - Real estate and financial sectors performed positively, closing higher [4] - The Dow Jones closed down approximately 110 points, the S&P 500 decreased by 0.99%, and the Nasdaq Composite fell by 1.57% during the session [4] Upcoming Earnings - Investors are anticipating earnings results from Exxon Mobil Corp., Chevron Corp., and Colgate-Palmolive Co. [5]