Nasdaq Tumbles Over 2%, Records Weekly Loss: Investor Sentiment Weakens, Fear & Greed Index Moves to 'Ext

U.S. stocks ended lower Friday, with the Nasdaq Composite falling more than 2% in the session and posting its worst week since June. The S&P 500 dropped about 2% for the week, while the Dow added 0.7%. Market sentiment weakened as the CNN Business Fear & Greed index slipped and moved into the “Extreme Fear” zone, reaching a reading of 18 versus 30 previously. Chipmakers led declines, with the VanEck Semiconductor ETF down 3% alongside weakness in Micron, AMD and SanDisk. Oil stayed elevated as conflict around the Strait of Hormuz kept supply risks in focus. On Friday, the Dow closed near 52,002.40, the S&P 500 at 7,659.44, and the Nasdaq at 26,140.03.