S&P 500 Hits New Record High: Investor Sentiment Improves Further, Fear Index Remains In 'Greed' Zone

Market Sentiment - The CNN Money Fear and Greed index showed improvement in overall market sentiment, remaining in the "Greed" zone with a current reading of 58.7, up from 57.7 [4] - U.S. stocks closed higher, with the Dow Jones index gaining over 250 points and the S&P 500 reaching new records [1] Company Performance - Nike shares rose after Apple CEO Tim Cook disclosed the purchase of 50,000 shares at $58.97 each [2] - Micron Technology's stock increased by approximately 4%, extending its post-earnings rally to 27% over the past five sessions [2] Economic Data - U.S. initial jobless claims decreased by 10,000 to 214,000 for the week ending December 20, compared to market estimates of 223,000 [2] Sector Performance - Most sectors on the S&P 500 closed positively, with consumer staples, real estate, and utilities stocks showing the largest gains, while energy stocks closed lower [3] - The Dow Jones closed at 48,731.16, up around 289 points, while the S&P 500 rose 0.32% to 6,932.05, and the Nasdaq Composite increased by 0.22% to 23,613.31 [3]