The CNN Money Fear and Greed index showed some improvement in the overall market sentiment, while the index remained in the “Greed” zone on Wednesday.
U.S. stocks settled mostly higher on Wednesday, with the S&P 500 settling at a record high level during the session after President Donald Trump announced a new trade agreement with Vietnam.
On the economic front, the ADP National Employment Report showed private employers shed 33,000 jobs in June 2025 — the first monthly contraction since March 2023. The sharp miss reinforced market bets that the Fed may ease policy sooner than expected. Economists now expect Friday’s official nonfarm payrolls report to show a slowdown from 139,000 to 110,000 jobs.
Rate cut odds rose sharply. Markets now see a 25% chance of a July cut and fully price in a reduction by September. A second cut by December is also fully priced in.
The Greenbrier Companies, Inc. (NYSE:GBX) shares jumped 21% on Wednesday after the company posted stronger-than-expected results for the third quarter.
Most sectors on the S&P 500 closed on a positive note, with materials, information technology and energy stocks recording the biggest gains on Wednesday. However, health care and utilities stocks bucked the overall market trend, closing the session lower.
The Dow Jones closed lower by over 10 points to 44,484.42 on Wednesday. The S&P 500 rose 0.47% to 6,227.42, while the Nasdaq Composite climbed 0.94% to 20,393.13 during Wednesday’s session.
What is CNN Business Fear & Greed Index?
At a current reading of 63.2, the index remained in the “Greed” zone on Wednesday, versus a prior reading of 61.3.
The Fear & 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.
With U.S. stock futures trading higher this morning on Thursday, some of the stocks that may grab investor focus today are as follows:
Franklin Covey Co. (NYSE:FC) reported downbeat results for the third quarter and lowered its FY2025 sales guidance after the closing bell on Wednesday, according to data from Benzinga Pro. The company posted a quarterly loss of 11 cents per share, which missed the analyst consensus estimate of a loss of 4 cents per share. The company reported quarterly sales of $67.121 million, which missed the analyst consensus estimate of $67.491 million. Franklin Covey shares dipped 7.8% to $22.28 in the after-hours trading session.
Xponential Fitness Inc. (NASDAQ:XPOF) shares rose sharply after the company disclosed in a Form 8 filing that the SEC concluded its investigation without action. Xponential Fitness shares jumped 22.9% to $9.17 in the after-hours trading session.
Banzai International Inc. (NASDAQ:BNZI) announced a 1-for-10 reverse stock split. Banzai International shares fell 2.3% to $0.63 in the after-hours trading session.
FiEE Inc. (NASDAQ:MINM) entered into an asset purchase agreement with Suzhou Yixuntong to acquire intellectual property and fixed assets for $1.4 million. FiEE shares jumped 44.2% to $3.85 in the after-hours trading session.
National Beverage Corp. (NASDAQ:FIZZ) posted in-line earnings for its fourth quarter, while sales topped estimates. National Beverage shares gained 2.1% to $45.79 in after-hours trading.
Genius Group Limited (NYSE:GNS) boosted its cryptocurrency reserves by 20% on July 1, 2025, purchasing additional Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC/USD) and bringing its total holdings to 120 BTC.
The move follows a recent decision by a U.S. appellate court that allowed the company to resume crypto acquisitions. The Singapore-based education technology firm secured the new Bitcoin at an average price of $101,539 per coin.
The company has doubled its Bitcoin holdings since May 22, 2025. This increase follows a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals to stay a Preliminary Injunction that had previously prevented further purchases.
Genius has committed to scaling its Bitcoin reserves to 1,000 BTC within six months. The company confirmed it would increase the frequency of purchases in the near term as part of a broader push to grow its digital asset base.
Roger Hamilton, CEO of Genius Group, characterized Bitcoin not only as a strategic asset but also as integral to the company’s long-term philosophy of value preservation and financial education.
Other companies actively involved in digital assets and education innovation include MicroStrategy Inc. (NASDAQ:MSTR) and Coursera Inc. (NYSE:COUR).
Investors interested in related themes may also watch Valkyrie Bitcoin Strategy ETF (NASDAQ:BTF) and Global X Education ETF (NASDAQ:EDUT).
Price Action: GNS shares are trading higher by 3.13% at $1.48 at last check Wednesday.
The Communication Services Select Sector SPDR Fund
107.75
-0.01
-0.01
653
Pulled from Benzinga Pro data this sector movers alerts can help traders understand macro-level market trends. Traders often look for sector movers to provide high-level analysis on which sectors are over- or under-performing to make better investing decisions on exchange traded funds (ETFs) or individual tickers in those sectors.
For more information on sector movers, click here.
With U.S. stock futures trading higher this morning on Wednesday, some of the stocks that may grab investor focus today are as follows:
Wall Street expects UniFirst Corp. (NYSE:UNF) to report quarterly earnings at $2.09 per share on revenue of $614.51 million before the opening bell, according to data from Benzinga Pro. UniFirst shares gained 5.3% to $200.50 in after-hours trading.
The Greenbrier Companies Inc. (NYSE:GBX) posted stronger-than-expected results for the third quarter after the closing bell on Tuesday. The company posted quarterly earnings of $1.86 per share, beating market estimates of 98 cents per share. Greenbrier shares jumped 13.1% to $53.14 in the after-hours trading session.
Analysts are expecting Franklin Covey Co. (NYSE:FC) to post a quarterly loss of 4 cents per share on revenue of $67.49 million for the latest quarter. The company will release earnings after the markets close. Franklin Covey shares rose 4.7% to $25.25 in after-hours trading.
Constellation Brands Inc. (NYSE:STZ) posted weaker-than-expected earnings for its first quarter and affirmed its FY2026 earnings guidance. Constellation Brands reported quarterly earnings of $3.22 per share, which missed the analyst consensus estimate of $3.31 per share. The company reported quarterly sales of $2.515 billion, which missed the analyst consensus estimate of $2.554 billion. Constellation Brands shares fell 1.2% to $164.40 in the after-hours trading session.
Zenvia Inc. (NASDAQ:ZENV) is expected to post earnings for the first quarter after the closing bell. Zenvia shares fell 0.7% to close at $1.49 on Tuesday.
The CNN Money Fear and Greed index showed some decline in the overall market sentiment, while the index remained in the “Greed” zone on Tuesday.
U.S. stocks settled mixed on Tuesday, with the Dow Jones index gaining 400 points during the session. The U.S. Senate approved President Donald Trump’s “One Big, Beautiful Bill.”
On the economic front, the number of job openings climbed by 374,000 to 7.769 million in May. The ISM manufacturing PMI rose to 49 in June versus 48.5 in the previous month, compared to market estimates of 48.8. U.S. construction spending declined by 0.3% month-over-month to an annual rate of $2,138 billion in May.
MSC Industrial Direct Co. Inc. (NYSE:MSM) posted better-than-expected financial results for its fiscal third quarter of 2025.
Most sectors on the S&P 500 closed on a positive note, with materials, health care and energy stocks recording the biggest gains on Tuesday. However, information technology and communication services bucked the overall market trend, closing the session lower.
The Dow Jones closed higher by around 400 points to 44,494.94 on Tuesday. The S&P 500 fell 0.11% to 6,198.01, while the Nasdaq Composite declined 0.82% to 20,202.89 during Tuesday’s session.
Investors are awaiting earnings results from UniFirst Corp. (NYSE:UNF) and The Greenbrier Companies Inc. (NYSE:GBX) today.
What is CNN Business Fear & Greed Index?
At a current reading of 65.2, the index remained in the “Greed” zone on Tuesday, versus a prior reading of 65.5.
The Fear & 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.
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has had a bruising start to 2025, with its stock down about 18% year-to-date and underperforming the broader stock market by 22%—its worst half-year stretch since 2013.
But as July kicks off, investors may find a surprisingly bullish signal in an unexpected place: the calendar.
Why Has Apple Struggled So Much In 2025?
The first half of the year was defined by a perfect storm for Apple—trade tensions, delays in product innovation and a growing AI gap all chipped away at investor confidence.
One of the biggest headwinds came from President Donald Trump‘s renewed tariff agenda. In 2024, Apple generated 64% of its total revenue from overseas, with Greater China and Europe being among its most profitable regions. But in early 2025, trade-related uncertainty soured consumer sentiment abroad, especially in China.
The numbers confirm it: in the first quarter of 2025, Apple’s revenue from Greater China dropped 13% year-over-year to $16.37 billion, down from $18.25 billion during the same quarter of 2024. Local rivals, such as Huawei and Xiaomi, gained market share, while demand for iPhones softened.
Then came Apple’s AI problem. While Microsoft Corp. (NYSE:MSFT), Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL), and Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:NVDA) captured market buzz with new AI-driven features and products, Apple offered few details.
With no firm AI roadmap and delays around the iPhone 17 and the Vision Pro international rollout, many investors began rotating out of Apple into higher-growth tech names like Nvidia, Palantir Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:PLTR) Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:META) and Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:AVGO)
Can Apple Turn Things Around In July?
On the surface, Apple seems out of favor. But dig into the seasonality, and July could offer the kind of bullish argument that flips the narrative.
Apple’s seasonal gains in July are unmatched. Over the past 20 years, the stock has ended July higher 17 times, with an average return of 7.6%.
Even more impressive, Apple is riding a 9-year winning streak in July. The best performances came in 2022 (+18.9%) and 2006 (+18.6%).
Expand the scope to 30 years, and the signal remains intact: Apple averaged a 7.3% gain in July, with a 77% win rate (23 positive closes out of 30).
The biggest drawdowns occurred in 2001 (-19.2%), 2002 (-13.9%), and 2008 (-5.1%)—but those were years defined by broader market crises.
More recently, pullbacks have been minor, like -3.3% in 2015 or -0.6% in 2004.
Apple’s relative performance versus the S&P 500 in July has been positive in 77% of the past 30 years, with an average outperformance of 5.8%.
No other S&P 500 stock has matched that consistency or magnitude over the same period.
In short, Apple hasn’t just risen in July—it’s crushed the market in July, time and time again. And with sentiment scraping cycle lows in 2025, history suggests July has often been Apple’s golden window for a rebound.
Year
Apple July Return (%)
AAPL vs. S&P 500 (%)
1994
27.12
+23.24
1995
-3.10
-6.08
1996
4.76
+9.78
1997
22.81
+13.91
1998
20.70
+22.12
1999
20.24
+24.22
2000
-2.98
-1.37
2001
-19.18
-18.13
2002
-13.88
-6.53
2003
10.60
+8.83
2004
-0.61
+2.91
2005
15.87
+11.84
2006
18.67
+18.07
2007
7.96
+11.53
2008
-5.07
-4.13
2009
14.72
+6.80
2010
2.27
+8.85
2011
16.33
+18.88
2012
4.58
+3.28
2013
14.12
+8.74
2014
2.87
+4.45
2015
-3.29
-5.16
2016
9.01
+3.75
2017
3.27
+1.96
2018
2.80
+3.58
2019
7.64
+1.40
2020
16.51
+6.08
2021
6.50
+2.37
2022
18.86
+9.92
2023
1.28
+3.06
2024
5.44
+1.18
Averagegain
7.3%
5.8%
Win ratio
77%
71%
Source: Author’s own elaboration based on TradingView data
Pulled from Benzinga Pro data the above sector movers alert assists traders in understanding macro-level trends and market variations. Traders will look for sector movers providing information on sectors that are over- or under-performing, deriving these results into investing decisions on exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or individual tickers in those sectors.
For more information on sector movers, click here.
With U.S. stock futures trading higher this morning on Tuesday, some of the stocks that may grab investor focus today are as follows:
Wall Street expects MSC Industrial Direct Co. Inc. (NYSE:MSM) to report quarterly earnings at $1.03 per share on revenue of $970.23 million before the opening bell, according to data from Benzinga Pro. MSC Industrial Direct shares slipped 0.1% to $84.96 in after-hours trading.
Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ:NKTR) disclosed a proposed public offering of common stock. Nektar Therapeutics fell 2.4% to $25.22 in the after-hours trading session.
Analysts are expecting Constellation Brands Inc. (NYSE:STZ) to post earnings at $3.31 per share on revenue of $2.55 billion for the latest quarter. The company will release earnings after the markets close. Constellation shares rose 0.5% to $163.49 in after-hours trading.
Progress Software Corp. (NASDAQ:PRGS) posted better-than-expected earnings for the second quarter, while sales missed estimates. The company also raised its guidance for FY2025. Progress Software shares fell 7.2% to $59.27 in the after-hours trading session.
Analysts expect The Greenbrier Companies Inc. (NYSE:GBX) to post quarterly earnings at 98 cents per share on revenue of $785.72 million after the closing bell. Greenbrier shares gained 1% to $46.50 in after-hours trading.
Whales with a lot of money to spend have taken a noticeably bearish stance on Uber Technologies.
Looking at options history for Uber Technologies (NYSE:UBER) we detected 33 trades.
If we consider the specifics of each trade, it is accurate to state that 42% of the investors opened trades with bullish expectations and 48% with bearish.
From the overall spotted trades, 8 are puts, for a total amount of $840,435 and 25, calls, for a total amount of $1,567,077.
Expected Price Movements
Based on the trading activity, it appears that the significant investors are aiming for a price territory stretching from $47.5 to $125.0 for Uber Technologies over the recent three months.
Volume & Open Interest Trends
In today’s trading context, the average open interest for options of Uber Technologies stands at 2998.93, with a total volume reaching 8,918.00. The accompanying chart delineates the progression of both call and put option volume and open interest for high-value trades in Uber Technologies, situated within the strike price corridor from $47.5 to $125.0, throughout the last 30 days.
Uber Technologies Option Volume And Open Interest Over Last 30 Days
Noteworthy Options Activity:
Symbol
PUT/CALL
Trade Type
Sentiment
Exp. Date
Ask
Bid
Price
Strike Price
Total Trade Price
Open Interest
Volume
UBER
PUT
TRADE
BEARISH
09/19/25
$1.95
$1.91
$1.94
$80.00
$533.5K
4.7K
2.7K
UBER
CALL
SWEEP
BEARISH
06/18/26
$23.35
$23.15
$23.17
$80.00
$185.3K
2.7K
80
UBER
CALL
TRADE
BEARISH
01/15/27
$24.0
$22.25
$22.5
$87.50
$177.7K
363
79
UBER
CALL
TRADE
BULLISH
06/18/26
$17.2
$16.3
$17.2
$90.00
$172.0K
3.0K
0
UBER
CALL
TRADE
BEARISH
06/18/26
$23.0
$21.2
$21.5
$82.50
$169.8K
634
79
About Uber Technologies
Uber Technologies is a technology provider that matches riders with drivers, hungry people with restaurants and food couriers, and shippers with carriers. The firm’s on-demand technology platform is currently utilized by traditional cars as well as autonomous vehicles, but could eventually be used for additional products and services, such as delivery via drones or electronic vehicle take-off and landing (eVTOL) technology. Uber operates in over 70 countries, with over 170 million users who order rides or food at least once a month.
Current Position of Uber Technologies
With a volume of 6,404,659, the price of UBER is up 1.16% at $92.59.
RSI indicators hint that the underlying stock is currently neutral between overbought and oversold.
Next earnings are expected to be released in 36 days.
Professional Analyst Ratings for Uber Technologies
In the last month, 3 experts released ratings on this stock with an average target price of $100.0.
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* In a cautious move, an analyst from Canaccord Genuity downgraded its rating to Hold, setting a price target of $84.
* Reflecting concerns, an analyst from Stifel lowers its rating to Buy with a new price target of $110.
* An analyst from Cantor Fitzgerald has decided to maintain their Overweight rating on Uber Technologies, which currently sits at a price target of $106.
Trading options involves greater risks but also offers the potential for higher profits. Savvy traders mitigate these risks through ongoing education, strategic trade adjustments, utilizing various indicators, and staying attuned to market dynamics. Keep up with the latest options trades for Uber Technologies with Benzinga Pro for real-time alerts.
