Nasdaq Dips 150 Points Amid Gain In Oil Prices

Fear & Greed Index Remains In 'Extreme Fear' Zone

Mar. 31, 2026 at 7:24am

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U.S. stocks settled mixed on Monday, with the Nasdaq Composite falling more than 150 points during the session amid further gains in oil prices. The S&P 500 recorded its fifth consecutive weekly decline, falling 2.1% during the week. The Nasdaq dipped 3.2%, while the blue-chip Dow fell 0.9% last week.

Why it matters

The Fear & Greed Index is a widely watched indicator of current market sentiment, with a reading in the 'Extreme Fear' zone signaling high levels of investor anxiety that can put downward pressure on stock prices.

The details

Most sectors on the S&P 500 closed on a positive note, with utilities, consumer staples and financial stocks recording the biggest gains on Monday. However, industrials and information technology stocks bucked the overall market trend, closing the session lower. The Dow Jones closed higher by around 50 points to 45,216.14 on Monday. The S&P 500 fell 0.39% to 6,343.72, while the Nasdaq Composite dipped 0.73% at 20,794.64 during Monday's session.

  • The Fear & Greed Index remained in the 'Extreme Fear' zone on Monday at 8.7, versus a prior reading of 14.5.

The players

Donald Trump

The US President disclosed active negotiations with a 'new and more reasonable' Iranian regime.

Jerome Powell

The Federal Reserve Chair downplayed the need for imminent rate hikes.

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The takeaway

The combination of rising oil prices, ongoing geopolitical tensions, and the Federal Reserve's policy stance have created a climate of heightened investor uncertainty, as reflected in the 'Extreme Fear' reading of the widely watched CNN Business Fear & Greed Index.