Market sentiment

Fear & Greed Index

One number, 0 to 100, that captures the mood of the market — from panic-selling fear to euphoric greed. Track it for both stocks and crypto, and learn to read the crowd.

Updated Jul 5, 2026

0Fear

How it has moved

Yesterday31Fear

Last week25Fear

Last month53Neutral

Last year78Extreme Greed

Recent trend

What drives the stock index

CNN builds the headline number from seven market signals. Each is scored 0–100 on the same fear-to-greed scale.

Market Momentum48· Neutral
The S&P 500 versus its 125-day moving average. Trading well above the average signals greed; falling below it signals fear.
Stock Price Strength42· Fear
The number of stocks hitting 52-week highs versus 52-week lows on the NYSE. More new highs is a greedy, broad-based advance.
Stock Price Breadth19· Extreme Fear
Trading volume in rising stocks versus falling stocks (the McClellan Volume Summation). Strong volume behind gainers signals greed.
Put & Call Options44· Fear
The put/call ratio — how many bearish puts trade versus bullish calls. More puts than calls reveals fear; more calls reveals greed.
Market Volatility50· Neutral
The VIX, Wall Street's 'fear gauge'. A rising VIX means investors are paying up for protection — a fear signal.
Safe-Haven Demand24· Extreme Fear
The return on stocks versus Treasury bonds. When money flees stocks for the safety of bonds, that's fear.
Junk-Bond Demand1· Extreme Fear
The yield spread between junk bonds and safer investment-grade bonds. A narrow spread means investors are chasing risk — greed.

🧭 What the index actually measures

The Fear & Greed Index turns market emotion into a single score from 0 (extreme fear) to 100 (extreme greed). It doesn't measure whether prices are 'right' — it measures how investors feel. When the crowd is terrified, they sell indiscriminately and prices can fall below fair value; when they're euphoric, they buy anything and prices can overshoot. The index blends several behavioural signals — momentum, volatility, demand for safety, and the balance of bullish versus bearish bets — into one dial you can read at a glance.

💡 Why smart traders read it backwards

The index is most useful as a contrarian signal. As Warren Buffett put it: 'Be fearful when others are greedy, and greedy when others are fearful.' Extreme fear often marks the point of maximum pessimism — where the sellers are exhausted and bargains appear. Extreme greed often marks complacency — where risk is highest precisely because everyone feels safe. It is a gauge of sentiment, not a timing tool: markets can stay fearful or greedy for a long time, so use it to check your own emotions, not to fire trades on their own.

🎯 Reading the five zones

The same 0–100 bands apply to both the stock and crypto gauges.

0–25
Extreme Fear
Panic is in the air — investors are dumping risk and rushing to safety. Historically these moments have offered the best long-term entry points, but they can also precede further falls. A time to be curious, not to catch a falling knife blindly.
25–45
Fear
Nervousness dominates and buyers are cautious. Prices may be discounted relative to calmer periods. Worth watching for value, while respecting that the trend may still be down.
45–55
Neutral
The market is balanced — neither side has the upper hand. Sentiment gives little edge here; let price action and your plan lead.
55–75
Greed
Optimism is building and money is chasing gains. Trends can run, but the easy, cheap entries are gone. A time to manage risk and take some profit into strength.
75–100
Extreme Greed
Euphoria — everyone is bullish and afraid of missing out. Risk is highest when it feels lowest. Historically a time for caution, tighter stops, and trimming exposure rather than adding.

📚 Where the data comes from

The stock index follows CNN's Fear & Greed model, computed from seven market indicators (momentum, price strength, breadth, options positioning, volatility, safe-haven demand and junk-bond demand). The crypto index is the widely-followed Alternative.me Crypto Fear & Greed Index. Both are refreshed once a day after the US market close.

The Fear & Greed Index is a sentiment gauge for educational purposes only — not investment advice, and not a buy or sell signal on its own. Markets can remain fearful or greedy far longer than expected. Always do your own research and manage risk.