Dow Dips Over 200 Points Ahead Of Fed Decision: Greed Index Remains In 'Fear' Zone - AutoZone (NYSE:AZO)

Market Overview - U.S. stocks experienced a decline on Monday, with the Dow Jones index falling over 200 points, closing lower by approximately 215 points to 47,739.32. The S&P 500 decreased by 0.35% to 6,846.51, and the Nasdaq Composite fell by 0.14% to 23,545.90 [4][3]. Economic Indicators - The one-year-ahead median inflation expectations in the U.S. remained stable at 3.2% in November [3]. Company News - Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. (NASDAQ:WBD) is in an intensified bidding war, with Paramount Skydance Corp. (NASDAQ:PSKY) making a $30-per-share cash offer, valuing the company at approximately $108.4 billion, surpassing Netflix's (NASDAQ:NFLX) previous bid of $27.75 in cash and stock [2]. - Confluent Inc. (NASDAQ:CFLT) saw a significant increase of 29% following reports that International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE:IBM) is considering a potential acquisition [2]. Sector Performance - Most sectors within the S&P 500 closed negatively, with communication services, materials, and consumer discretionary stocks experiencing the largest losses. In contrast, information technology stocks performed well, closing higher [3]. Investor Sentiment - The CNN Money Fear and Greed index indicated an increase in overall fear, with a current reading of 31.2, down from 38.1, remaining in the "Fear" zone [5][1].