Nasdaq Down 50 Points, Records Weekly Loss: Investor Sentiment Declines Further, Greed Index In 'Fear' Zone

Market Sentiment - The CNN Money Fear and Greed index showed a decline in overall market sentiment, remaining in the "Fear" zone with a reading of 36.3, up from 35.8 [4] - U.S. stocks settled mixed, with the Nasdaq Composite falling around 50 points following the inflation report [1] Inflation Data - The annual inflation rate decreased from 2.7% to 2.4% in January, below the forecast of 2.5%, marking the lowest level since May 2025 [2] - Core inflation also eased from 2.7% to 2.5% year over year, the lowest since March 2021 [2] Weekly Market Performance - All major indices recorded losses for the week, with the S&P 500 down 1.4%, the Dow down 1.2%, and the Nasdaq down 2.1% [2] - On Friday, the Dow Jones closed higher by approximately 49 points at 49,500.93, while the S&P 500 rose 0.05% to 6,836.17, and the Nasdaq Composite fell 0.22% to 22,546.67 [3] Sector Performance - Most sectors on the S&P 500 closed positively, with utilities, real estate, and materials stocks showing the biggest gains [3] - Communication services and information technology stocks closed lower, bucking the overall market trend [3]