Benzinga·2025-12-19 08:30Market Sentiment - The CNN Money Fear and Greed index declined to a reading of 43.7, entering the "Fear" zone from a previous reading of 46.9, indicating a shift in market sentiment [6] - U.S. stocks experienced a positive session, with the Nasdaq Composite gaining over 300 points, driven by a cooler-than-expected inflation report and strong earnings outlook from Micron Technology [1] Company Performance - Micron Technology's stock surged by 10% after exceeding earnings estimates and providing a positive outlook, alleviating concerns regarding the AI bubble [2] - Accenture Plc also reported better-than-expected first-quarter 2026 results, contributing to the overall positive market sentiment [2] Economic Indicators - The Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased by 2.7% year-over-year in November 2025, down from 3% previously and below the expected 3.1%, while core inflation fell to 2.6%, the lowest since March 2021 [2] - The Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index dropped by 8.5 points to -10.2 in December, missing market expectations [3] - Initial jobless claims in the U.S. decreased by 13,000 to 224,000 for the week ending December 13 [3] Sector Performance - Most sectors in the S&P 500 closed positively, with information technology, communication services, and consumer discretionary stocks showing the largest gains, while consumer staples and energy sectors closed lower [4] - The Dow Jones increased by approximately 66 points to 47,951.85, the S&P 500 rose by 0.79% to 6,774.76, and the Nasdaq Composite jumped by 1.38% to 23,006.36 during the session [4] Upcoming Earnings - Investors are anticipating earnings results from Conagra Brands Inc., Paychex Inc., and Carnival Corp. [5]