Stocks were mixed today as markets awaited a decision on interest rates by the Federal Reserve, according to the Associated Press. The future for the S&P 500 lost 0.3% while that for the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.1%.
The Federal Reserve began its latest policy meeting on interest rates Tuesday, but virtually no one expects it to cut rates this time. Economists and traders will be searching for clues that a rate cut may arrive at its next meeting in March.
Early this morning, the yield on the 10-year Treasury, the centerpiece of the bond market, was at 4.02%, down from 4.06% late Tuesday.
In energy trading, benchmark U.S. crude lost 77 cents to $77.05 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude, the international standard, fell 79 cents to $81.71 per barrel.
In currency trading, the U.S. dollar slipped to 147.58 Japanese yen from 147.59 yen.
