CNN's Fear & Greed Index Drops From 47 to About 18 as the Author Calls Extreme Fear a Contrarian Signal

The author says everyone is panicking, and that is usually the tell. CNN's Fear & Greed Index has dropped from 47 to about 18 in a matter of days, deep into Extreme Fear.
The last two times sentiment fell below 25, in October 2025 and April 2026, stocks bottomed within weeks, according to the author. They argue that Extreme Fear is a contrarian signal and that the crowd is loudest at the turn. $SPX