Dow Gains Over 300 Points Ahead Of Key Earnings: Investor Sentiment Improves, Fear & Greed Index Remains In 'Neutral' Zone - Boeing (NYSE:BA), General Motors (NYSE:GM)

Market Sentiment - The CNN Money Fear and Greed index showed an improvement in overall market sentiment, remaining in the "Neutral" zone with a reading of 55.3, up from 53.7 [5][6] - U.S. stocks settled higher on Monday, with the Dow Jones index gaining over 300 points, closing at 49,412.40, while the S&P 500 rose 0.50% to 6,950.23 and the Nasdaq Composite gained 0.43% to 23,601.36 [4] Company Performance - Revolution Medicines Inc (NASDAQ:RVMD) shares dropped 17% following reports that Merck is no longer in discussions to acquire the company [2] - Steel Dynamics Inc (NASDAQ:STLD) reported downbeat earnings for the fourth quarter [2] Economic Data - The Chicago Fed National Activity Index improved to -0.04 in November from -0.42 in October [3] - U.S. durable-goods orders rose 5.3% month-over-month in November, following a revised 2.1% decline in October, exceeding market estimates of a 3.7% increase [3] Sector Performance - Most sectors on the S&P 500 closed positively, with communication services, information technology, and utilities stocks recording the biggest gains, while consumer discretionary and consumer staples stocks closed lower [4]