The CNN Money Fear and Greed index showed a further increase in the overall fear level, while the index remained in the “Extreme Fear” zone on Wednesday.U.S. stocks settled lower on Wednesday, with the Dow Jones index falling around 700 points during the session after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell linked rising tariffs to higher inflation and slower growth, while making it clear the central bank has no intention of cushioning market losses.Semiconductors were particularly hit hard following fresh export restrictions on Nvidia Corp. NVDA chips to China. The iShares Semiconductor ETF SOXX fell sharply on Wednesday, with Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices Inc. AMD both down around 7%.Travelers Companies Inc. TRV posted better-than-expected first-quarter results on Wednesday. Abbott Laboratories ABT reported upbeat first-quarter adjusted EPS results.On the economic data front, U.S. industrial production declined by 0.3% in March compared to market estimates of a 0.2% fall. U.S. retail sales rose 1.4% month-over-month in March versus a 0.2% gain in the previous month and better than estimates of 1.3%.Most sectors on the S&amp;P 500 closed on a negative note, with consumer discretionary, information technology, and communication services stocks recording the biggest losses on Wednesday. However, energy stocks bucked the overall market trend, closing the session higher.The Dow Jones closed lower by around 700 points to 39,669.39 on Wednesday. The S&amp;P 500 fell 2.24% to 5,275.70, while the Nasdaq Composite dipped 3.07% to 16,307.16 during Wednesday's session.Investors are awaiting earnings results from Netflix Inc. NFLX, UnitedHealth Group Incorporated UNH, and D.R. Horton Inc. DHI today.What is CNN Business Fear &amp; Greed Index?At a current reading of 14.4, the index remained in the “Extreme Fear” zone on Wednesday, versus a prior reading of 18.2.The Fear &amp; Greed Index is a measure of the current market sentiment. It is based on the premise that higher fear exerts pressure on stock prices, while higher greed has the opposite effect. The index is calculated based on seven equal-weighted indicators. The index ranges from 0 to 100, where 0 represents maximum fear and 100 signals maximum greediness.

U.S. stocks fell sharply on Wednesday, with the Nasdaq down 3% amid concerns over rising tariffs and export restrictions on Nvidia and AMD. The CNN Money Fear and Greed index indicated extreme fear in the market, dropping to 14.4. The Dow Jones lost around 700 points, while the S&P 500 and iShares Semiconductor ETF also declined. Despite the downturn, Travelers Companies and Abbott Laboratories reported better-than-expected earnings. Investors are awaiting earnings from Netflix, UnitedHealth, and D.R. Horton.

- The CNN Money Fear and Greed index indicated an increase in fear, remaining in the "Extreme Fear" zone at a reading of 14.4.  
- U.S. stocks fell sharply, with the Dow Jones dropping around 700 points, influenced by Federal Reserve comments on tariffs and inflation, while semiconductor stocks suffered due to new export restrictions on Nvidia chips.  
- Despite the overall market decline, Travelers Companies and Abbott Laboratories reported better-than-expected first-quarter results, and U.S. retail sales rose 1.4% in March.

Nasdaq Dips 3% ，Greed Index Remains In 'Extreme Fear' Zone