S&P 500 Hits Record High: Investor Sentiment Improves, Fear & Greed Index Moves to ‘Neutral’ Zone

The S&P 500 reached a record high of 7,818.93, with the Dow Jones gaining approximately 253 points to close at 51,521.28, driven by improved investor sentiment as reflected in the CNN Money Fear and Greed Index, which moved to the 'Neutral' zone at 47. Constellation Energy Corp. surged over 12% following a 20-year agreement with Google to supply 890 megawatts of nuclear capacity, while Lamb Weston Holdings Inc. rose over 7% after reporting fiscal first-quarter earnings of 75 cents per share, exceeding the 59-cent consensus. The U.S. trade deficit widened to $105.6 billion in August, surpassing forecasts.