Flowing waves of gold and teal light across a dark background, representing market sentiment

Market pulse

Market mood, in one glance

CNN’s Fear & Greed Index, a fear-and-greed reading built on the VIX, the stories moving markets and live data streams, explained for people too busy to watch the market all day.

Market mood

Fear & Greed

24extreme fear

18Prev close

461 week ago

301 month ago

Close 19 Oct 2026 · CNN Fear & Greed Index

Market moodVIX-based

Neutral

VIX 19.99 · close 16 Oct 2026

Extreme fearNeutralExtreme greed

What it meansVolatility is near its long-run normal. Neither panic nor euphoria is driving prices.

Source: Cboe VIX index

Close · 19 Oct 2026Week: S&P −1.3% · Nasdaq −2.8% · Dow +0.4%

Where the major indexes closed

S&P 500

7,705.22

+0.60%

Nasdaq

26,480.10

+1.30%

Dow 30

52,048.83

+0.09%

Russell 2000

2,729.57

+0.30%

10-year Treasury 5.13% · WTI $98.12 · Brent $109.11 · Gold $4,167. Sources: Yahoo Finance, Cboe.

VIX · 12 monthsCboe daily close

The fear gauge over the past year

How to read the VIX

Fear and greed zones

Extreme greedUnusually calm. Complacency can build.VIX Below 12
GreedCalm markets, steady prices.VIX 12 – 15
NeutralNormal day-to-day turbulence.VIX 15 – 20
FearInvestors pay up for protection.VIX 20 – 30
Extreme fearPanic selling, sharp daily swings.VIX Above 30

Today’s headlinesUpdated 19 Oct 2026

What the financial press is covering

Women may be at greater risk of AI job losses. Telephone switch operators and PCs show whyCNBC · 19 Oct 2026
Commercial Metals: 3 Key Takeaways for Long-Term InvestorsNasdaq · 19 Oct 2026
First Horizon: 3 Key Takeaways for Long-Term InvestorsNasdaq · 19 Oct 2026
This 2027 Social Security Rule Change Is a Small Victory for Some Working BeneficiariesNasdaq · 19 Oct 2026
Is Nvidia Stock Really Trading for Just 8 Times 2030 Earnings?Nasdaq · 19 Oct 2026
Swiss Market Ends Marginally LowerNasdaq · 19 Oct 2026
6 Signs of a Winning Stock, Each Shown by a Real CompanyNasdaq · 19 Oct 2026
Monday 10/19 Insider Buying Report: NAD, BYRNNasdaq · 19 Oct 2026
Why EOS Energy Soared as Much as 11% TodayNasdaq · 19 Oct 2026
Is the AI Trade Cracking? What CoreWeave, Paul Tudor Jones, and ASML Are Telling UsNasdaq · 19 Oct 2026
Bank7: 3 Key Takeaways for Long-Term InvestorsNasdaq · 19 Oct 2026
Educational Development: 3 Key Takeaways for Long-Term InvestorsNasdaq · 19 Oct 2026

This week

What’s moving markets

Week ending 16 October 2026

AI stocks lead a sell-off

The Nasdaq fell 2.1% on Friday and 4.5% for the week, ending a four-week winning streak. Chip, memory and AI-infrastructure stocks led the decline as investors questioned how AI spending gets financed.

Hot inflation, higher yields

Hotter-than-expected CPI and PPI readings pushed the 10-year Treasury yield above 5%. Futures markets price a high chance of a Fed rate hike by December.

Oil back above $100

WTI crude rose 3.4% to about $101 a barrel, and Brent to about $110, on Middle East supply risks. Energy was the best-performing sector.

Live

Live market dashboard

These panels stream live data from TradingView during market hours.

Smart money angle

Trending stocks, explained

What happened, what it could mean and which super investors own it.

CRWV16 Oct 2026

CoreWeave slides on AI-debt worries

What happenedCoreWeave fell about 12% on Friday, its second big drop in three days, as investors focused on the AI cloud provider’s roughly $50 billion of debt.

What it could meanCompanies that borrow to build AI data centres now trade like rate-sensitive stocks. With 10-year yields above 5%, financing costs matter as much as demand. Expect volatility until earnings show cash flow catching up with spending.

1 super investor own it: David Tepper (1.4%)
David Tepper’s Appaloosa opened a new position in Q2 2026, before this sell-off.

META16 Oct 2026

Meta falls 4% ahead of earnings

What happenedMeta dropped nearly 4% on Friday as the AI sell-off hit the biggest spenders on AI infrastructure.

What it could meanUpcoming Big Tech earnings must show AI investment turning into revenue and cash flow. Meta’s ad business funds its spending, which separates it from borrowers, but the market wants proof.

7 super investors own it: Bill Ackman (9.2%), Chase Coleman (6.6%), David Tepper (4.9%), Terry Smith (4.3%) and 3 more
One of the most widely held stocks among our super investors.
Members of Congress disclosed 16 trades recently.

NFLX16 Oct 2026

Netflix reports earnings on 20 October

What happenedNetflix reports third-quarter results on Tuesday, 20 October, at the start of a heavy week of earnings.

What it could meanSubscriber growth, ad-tier revenue and margins will set the tone. A streaming business is less exposed to AI financing fears, which may help it stand out in a jittery tape.

4 super investors own it: Bill Ackman (4.8%), Terry Smith (3.7%), Bill Nygren (1.0%), Thomas Gayner (0.0%)
Bill Ackman’s Pershing Square opened a new position worth about $934 million in Q2 2026.
Members of Congress disclosed 8 trades recently.

OXY16 Oct 2026

Oil above $100 lifts energy stocks

What happenedEnergy was the best sector on Friday (up about 2.5%) as WTI crude climbed above $101 a barrel on Middle East supply risks.

What it could meanProducers like Occidental earn much more cash at these prices, which supports buybacks and debt paydown. The risk is that oil prices fall back quickly if supply eases.

2 super investors own it: Warren Buffett (4.3%), Duan Yongping (2.6%)
Berkshire Hathaway owns about 265 million Occidental shares, one of its largest positions.

FAQ

Reading the market without the noise

Short answers to the questions we hear most from busy investors.

Read: VIX explained

What is the VIX?

The Cboe Volatility Index measures how much movement options traders expect from the S&P 500 over the next 30 days. It rises when investors rush to buy protection, which is why it’s called the fear gauge.

How is the QWERTx market mood calculated?

We map the latest VIX close onto five zones: below 12 extreme greed, 12–15 greed, 15–20 neutral, 20–30 fear and above 30 extreme fear. It is a simple, transparent rule of thumb, not a prediction.

How is that different from CNN’s Fear & Greed Index?

CNN’s index blends seven indicators, including momentum, market breadth, put/call ratios, junk bond demand and the VIX. We show both: CNN’s for the broad picture, and our VIX reading because you can check it yourself.

Should I buy when the market is fearful?

Fear often creates better prices for long-term investors, but nobody can reliably time the bottom. Decide based on your own plan, time horizon and risk tolerance, ideally with a registered advisor.

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