Benzinga·2025-12-05 07:52Market Overview - The CNN Money Fear and Greed index showed some easing in the overall fear level, remaining in the "Fear" zone with a current reading of 38.9, up from 36.7 [1][6] - U.S. stocks settled mixed, with the Nasdaq Composite gaining around 50 points ahead of a widely expected Federal Reserve rate cut, which has a nearly 90% probability of being a 25-basis-point reduction [1] Company Performance - Dollar General Corp. led S&P 500 gainers, soaring 14% after posting stronger-than-expected earnings and upbeat guidance, reaching its highest level since August 2024 [2] - Salesforce Inc. added around 4% following positive results [2] - Kroger Co. stock fell around 5% after posting mixed quarterly results with softer-than-expected revenue [2] Economic Data - U.S. initial jobless claims declined by 27,000 to 191,000 during the last week of November [3] - U.S.-based employers announced job cuts of 71,321 in November, up from 57,727 in the year-ago period [3] - New orders for U.S.-manufactured goods increased by 0.2% month-over-month in September, compared to a revised 1.3% rise in August [3] Sector Performance - Most sectors on the S&P 500 closed negatively, with consumer staples, health care, and consumer discretionary stocks recording the biggest losses [4] - Industrials and information technology stocks bucked the overall market trend, closing higher [4] - The Dow Jones closed lower by around 32 points to 47,850.94, while the S&P 500 gained 0.11% to 6,857.12, and the Nasdaq Composite climbed 0.22% to 23,505.14 during Thursday's session [4] Upcoming Earnings - Investors are awaiting earnings results from Victoria's Secret & Co. and MoneyHero Ltd. today [5]