Nasdaq Closes at Record High as Sentiment Holds in Greed Territory

Benzinga reported Friday that the Nasdaq Composite notched a fresh all-time closing high of 26,917.47 on Thursday. The broader market followed suit, with positive sentiment reflected across most major indices.

Nasdaq Record High Leads a Broad Market Rally

The S&P 500 gained 0.58% to settle at 7,563.63 on the session. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added roughly 25 points to close at 50,668.97. Half of the S&P 500’s eleven sectors finished in positive territory. Healthcare, information technology, and consumer discretionary led the gainers. Energy and industrials moved against the trend, ending the day in the red.

The CNN Money Fear and Greed Index held at a reading of 60 as of Friday morning. That places sentiment squarely in the “Greed” zone. The index runs from zero to 100, with lower readings signaling fear and higher readings indicating market confidence.

Also Read: What the Fear and Greed Index Actually Measures

Macro Data Adds a Mixed Backdrop

Economic releases offered traders a nuanced picture heading into the long weekend. The core Personal Consumption Expenditures price index, the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation measure, rose 0.2% month-on-month in April. That came in below the 0.3% consensus forecast, a mild relief for rate-sensitive investors.

New orders for durable goods climbed 7.9% to $346 billion in April. That was a strong headline number. However, first-quarter GDP growth came in at an annualized 1.6%, falling short of the 2% economists had expected. The softer growth print tempered some of the optimism from the inflation and durable goods data.

Earnings Spark the Session’s Biggest Single-Stock Moves

Thursday’s session saw two notable earnings-driven surges. Electronics retailer Best Buy Co. Inc. jumped nearly 16% after delivering better-than-expected first-quarter results and raising forward guidance. Analysts had been cautious on the stock ahead of the print, making the size of the move all the more striking.

Database software company MongoDB Inc. also rallied sharply after reporting results that exceeded market expectations. Both names helped lift the technology and consumer discretionary sectors, contributing to the Nasdaq’s record close.

Background: A Market Recovering From Earlier Volatility

U.S. equities spent much of early 2026 navigating a choppy environment driven by tariff uncertainty and shifting rate expectations. The Nasdaq had lagged in that stretch before a recovery in technology sentiment helped push it back toward highs. Thursday’s close marks a meaningful psychological milestone for a market that struggled to find direction through much of the first quarter.

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