Investopedia explains 'Fear And Greed Index'
The Fear and Greed Index is a contrarian index of sorts, which is based on the premise that excessive fear can result in stocks trading well below their intrinsic values, while unbridled greed can result in stocks being bid up far above what they should be worth.
The index can therefore be used to signal potential turning points in the equity markets. For example, the index sank to a low of 12 on Sept. 17, 2008, when the S&P 500 fell to a three-year low in the aftermath of the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy and the near-demise of insurance giant AIG. It traded over 90 in September 2012 as global equities rallied following the Federal Reserve's third round of quantitative easing (QE3).
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