Nasdaq Gains Over 100 Points Following Release Of Fed Minutes: Fear & Greed Index Remains In 'Extreme Fear' Zone - Target (NYSE:TGT)

Market Overview - U.S. stocks experienced a positive session, with the Nasdaq Composite gaining over 100 points [1] - The Dow Jones closed higher by approximately 47 points at 46,138.77, while the S&P 500 rose 0.38% to 6,642.16 and the Nasdaq Composite increased by 0.59% to 22,564.23 [5] Federal Reserve Insights - The minutes from the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting revealed a division among officials regarding the future path of interest rates, leading to uncertainty about a potential rate cut in December [2] Economic Data - U.S. exports of goods and services rose by $0.2 billion to $280.8 billion in August, while imports fell by 5.1% to $340.4 billion [3] - The U.S. trade deficit decreased to $59.6 billion in August from $78.2 billion in the previous month, which was better than market expectations of a $61 billion gap [3] Company Performance - Lowe's Companies Inc. (NYSE:LOW) shares increased by 4% after exceeding Wall Street profit expectations for the third quarter, although sales fell slightly short [4] - Target Corp. (NYSE:TGT) reported a profit that beat expectations but had disappointing sales and reduced its full-year earnings outlook [4] Sector Performance - Most sectors in the S&P 500 closed positively, with information technology, communication services, and materials stocks showing the largest gains [5] - Conversely, energy and utilities stocks did not follow the upward trend and closed lower [5] Upcoming Earnings - Investors are anticipating earnings results from Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT), Maximus Inc. (NYSE:MMS), and Intuit Inc. (NASDAQ:INTU) [6]