Top Chart: SPY (S&P 500 ETF)
Bottom Chart: CNN Fear & Greed Index
Fear & Greed Index: Rapid decline into Extreme Fear
SPY: Dropped sharply, but started stabilizing and forming a bottom
? Perfect contrarian opportunity — Fear peaked, SPY bottomed shortly after
Fear Index: Gradually rising toward neutral
SPY: Strong upward momentum
?? Fear easing aligned with early price rally; confirms trend shift
Fear Index: Strong climb into Greed and near Extreme Greed
SPY: Continued uptrend, reaching local highs around October
?? Greed peaked early Oct, SPY peaked shortly after
(Lag between emotional optimism and price reversal)
Fear Index: Choppy decline (from Greed to Neutral/Fear)
SPY: Choppy top and consolidation, signs of exhaustion
???? Divergence: Sentiment remains optimistic while price starts to weaken
Fear Index: Falls into Extreme Fear
SPY: Breaks down sharply from highs (~$540 → ~$470)
? Classic panic moment — both emotion and price fall together
(Usually signals short-term bottom formation)
Fear Index: Still at Extreme Fear (21)
SPY: Nearing prior support zones (~$464)
???? Opportunity window: Fear is high again, price consolidating
April–May 2024 & Feb–March 2025
When:
Fear & Greed Index < 25
SPY hitting local support levels
October 2024
When:
Fear & Greed Index > 75
SPY peaking after a strong rally
RSI likely overbought
Fear/Greed State | SPY Price Tendency |
---|---|
Extreme Fear | Usually near or just past local bottoms (good for entries) |
Greed / Extreme Greed | Near price tops, often before a correction |
Neutral | Trending phase or post-panic recovery |
???? Fear & Greed Index is most powerful when confirming reversals:
Use Extreme Fear + support on chart + RSI < 35 → buy setup
Use Extreme Greed + price plateau + RSI > 70 → trim/sell setup