Dow Tumbles 450 Points Following Jobs Report: Investor Sentiment Declines, Greed Index Remains In 'Fear' Zone

Market Overview - U.S. stocks experienced a decline, with the Dow Jones index dropping over 450 points, and the S&P 500 losing 2% while the Dow fell 3% last week [1][5] - The tech-heavy Nasdaq also saw a decrease of 1.2% during the week [1] Oil Market - Oil prices surged to their highest levels since October 2023, with crude oil rallying nearly 35% for the week, marking the largest weekly gain in commodity trading history [2] - Qatar's energy minister indicated that oil could exceed $150 if the Strait of Hormuz were to close completely [2] Economic Data - U.S. retail sales fell by 0.2% in January, slightly better than the market estimate of a 0.3% decline [3] - The U.S. economy lost 92,000 nonfarm payrolls in February 2026, a significant drop from January's revised gain of 126,000 jobs, which was below economists' expectations of 59,000 [4] - The unemployment rate increased from 4.3% to 4.4%, surpassing forecasts [4] - Average hourly earnings rose by 0.4% month-over-month, matching January's pace and exceeding consensus estimates of 0.3% [4] Sector Performance - Most sectors on the S&P 500 closed negatively, with consumer discretionary, materials, and information technology stocks experiencing the largest losses [5] - In contrast, energy and consumer staples stocks closed higher, bucking the overall market trend [5]