Fear & Greed Index Rises as U.S. Stocks Decline Sharply
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Mar 09 2026
0mins
Source: Benzinga
- Deteriorating Market Sentiment: The CNN Money Fear & Greed Index recorded a reading of 26.7 on Friday, indicating a persistent state of 'Fear' in the market, down from 28.3 previously, reflecting investor anxiety about future market conditions.
- Significant Stock Market Decline: The Dow Jones dropped over 450 points to close at 47,501.55, while the S&P 500 fell 1.33% to 6,740.02, and the Nasdaq Composite declined 1.59%, showcasing overall market weakness and investor pessimism.
- Weak Economic Data: U.S. retail sales fell by 0.2% month-over-month in January, missing the market estimate of a 0.3% decline, and the nonfarm payrolls decreased by 92,000 in February 2026, with the unemployment rate rising to 4.4%, indicating heightened risks of economic slowdown.
- Oil Price Surge Risks: Qatar's energy minister warned that oil prices could surge past $150 if the Strait of Hormuz were to close completely, with crude prices rallying nearly 35% this week, marking the largest weekly gain in commodity trading history, which could have profound implications for the global economy.
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Analyst Views on MRVL
Wall Street analysts forecast MRVL stock price to fall
30 Analyst Rating
22 Buy
8 Hold
0 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 186.800
Low
85.00
Averages
120.12
High
156.00
Current: 186.800
Low
85.00
Averages
120.12
High
156.00
About MRVL
Marvell Technology, Inc. together with its consolidated subsidiaries, is a supplier of data infrastructure semiconductor solutions, spanning the data center core to network edge. It is engaged in the design, development and sale of integrated circuits. Its product offerings include custom application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), interconnects, ethernet solutions, fiber channel adapters, processors and storage controllers. In addition, it is also developing Ultra Accelerator LinkTM (UALinkTM) switches and ethernet for scale-up networking (ESUN) switches for the emerging scale-out artificial intelligence market. Its solutions integrate multiple analogs, mixed-signal and digital intellectual property components incorporating hardware, firmware and software technologies and its system knowledge to provide its customers with integrated solutions for their end products. It designs and manufactures photonic integrated circuits for ultra-high-bandwidth and low-power applications.
About the author

Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
- Economic Stability: US weekly initial unemployment claims fell by 3,000 to 209,000, close to the expected 210,000, indicating stability in the labor market and boosting investor confidence in economic recovery.
- Manufacturing Expansion: The May S&P manufacturing PMI unexpectedly rose by 0.8 to 55.3, surpassing expectations of 53.8, marking the strongest pace of expansion in four years, which could drive investment and growth in related sectors.
- Oil Price Volatility: WTI crude oil prices retreated after an initial 4% gain, influenced by market reactions to the situation in Iran, highlighting the uncertainty in the energy market that may impact the overall economy.
- Corporate Earnings Performance: So far, 83% of the 466 S&P 500 companies have beaten earnings estimates, with Q1 earnings projected to climb 12% year-over-year, providing support for the stock market despite a slowdown in the tech sector.
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- Oil Price Surge Impacts Market: The S&P 500 index fell 0.35%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 0.11%, and the Nasdaq 100 index decreased 0.51% as crude oil prices rose over 2% due to tensions between the US and Iran, indicating market concerns over potential energy supply disruptions.
- Mixed Economic Data: Initial US weekly unemployment claims fell by 3,000 to 209,000, close to expectations, while the May Philadelphia Fed business outlook survey unexpectedly dropped to -0.4, reflecting uncertainty in economic recovery that could affect investor confidence.
- Weak Performance in Tech Stocks: Nvidia's earnings beat expectations but its stock fell over 1% amid rising competition, and Intuit plummeted more than 19% due to revenue falling short of forecasts, highlighting challenges within the tech sector.
- International Market Volatility: Overseas markets showed mixed results, with the Euro Stoxx 50 down 0.02%, China's Shanghai Composite falling 2.04%, while Japan's Nikkei index rose 3.14%, reflecting global economic uncertainty and divergent investor sentiment.
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- Oil Price Surge Affects Markets: Crude oil prices jumped over 3% due to doubts about a US-Iran peace deal, leading the S&P 500 to decline by 0.44%, the Dow Jones by 0.47%, and the Nasdaq 100 by 0.49%, indicating market sensitivity to geopolitical risks.
- Mixed Economic Data: Initial US weekly unemployment claims fell by 3,000 to 209,000, close to the expected 210,000, while the May Philadelphia Fed business outlook unexpectedly dropped by 27.1 to -0.4, reflecting uncertainty in economic recovery that could impact investor confidence.
- Divergent Tech Stock Performance: Nvidia's earnings report exceeded expectations, yet its stock fell by 0.60% amid rising competition, highlighting the challenges tech companies face in sustaining growth in a highly competitive environment.
- International Market Volatility: Overseas stock markets showed mixed results, with the Euro Stoxx 50 down 0.52% and Japan's Nikkei up 3.14%, reflecting varying responses to economic conditions across different regions, which may influence investors' asset allocation strategies.
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- Strong Earnings: Nvidia's earnings report reveals nearly doubling year-over-year data center revenue, indicating relentless demand for its GPUs, although shares slipped in after-hours trading as investors scrutinized future guidance and rising competition.
- IPO Frenzy: SpaceX has filed for an IPO aiming to raise around $75 billion, surpassing Alibaba's record for the largest IPO, highlighting the intensifying competition among tech companies for public offerings, which could significantly impact market sentiment.
- Stabilizing Semiconductor Supply Chains: Samsung Electronics has reached a tentative agreement with its union to suspend a planned strike, likely providing temporary relief to global semiconductor supply chains critical for the ongoing AI boom.
- Market Rebound: Wall Street staged a strong rebound with the Dow surging over 600 points due to easing oil prices and moderating rate concerns, leading to a positive sentiment that has also lifted Asia-Pacific markets.
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- Market Recovery: The S&P 500 Index rose by 1.08%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average increased by 1.31%, and the Nasdaq 100 Index climbed by 1.66%, reflecting renewed investor confidence in economic recovery, particularly amid a significant drop in oil prices.
- Oil Price Plunge: Crude oil prices fell by over 5% due to hopes for an end to the Iran conflict, which not only lowered inflation expectations but also caused the 10-year Treasury yield to drop by 10 basis points to 4.57%, providing support for the bond market.
- Semiconductor Stocks Rally: Nvidia rose more than 1% ahead of its earnings report, with Q1 sales expected to increase by 80%, drawing market attention to its production ramp-up and competitive strategies, positively impacting the overall tech sector.
- Mortgage Applications Decline: U.S. MBA mortgage applications fell by 2.3% for the week ending May 1, with the purchase mortgage sub-index down 4.1%, indicating pressure on the housing market from high interest rates, as the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate rose to 6.56%.
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- Market Rebound: As of 1:10 p.m. ET, the S&P 500 rose 0.75% to 7,408.61, while the Nasdaq Composite gained 1.10% to 26,154.82, indicating improved market sentiment amid easing yields and oil prices.
- Tech Stock Performance: Nvidia shares climbed 1.73% ahead of its earnings report, with expectations of a 73% year-over-year revenue growth to $68 billion, and the market anticipates it will exceed the guidance of $78 billion for Q1 fiscal 2027.
- AI and Software Stocks Recovery: Cava Group surged 3.91%, while Salesforce and Marvell Technology advanced 0.70% and 4.89%, respectively, reflecting a renewed confidence in the AI and SaaS sectors, driving related stocks higher.
- CEO Remarks Focus: Investors will closely monitor CEO Jensen Huang's comments during the earnings call, particularly his optimistic views on AI infrastructure development and the transition to
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