FX.co ★ US Stocks Maintain Slight Increase

US stock indices closed mostly higher on Wednesday ahead of the Federal Reserve’s widely expected decision to keep interest rates unchanged. The S&P 500 hovered near the flatline, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average extended its record above 52,150. The Nasdaq 100 added 0.3% as chipmakers pared earlier losses.

The Fed is expected to hold rates but will likely signal its outlook through a new Summary of Economic Projections (SEP), and Chair Warsh may outline timelines for the framework changes he has previously advocated.

On the geopolitical front, Iran and the US remained on track to finalize an agreement by Friday that would restore energy exports from all Persian Gulf countries and lift sanctions on Iran, easing concerns over energy-driven inflation.

Semiconductor stocks rebounded, extending their recent rallies, with Broadcom, Micron, and Applied Materials gaining between 4% and 7%. Intel also rose 4% after its latest chip entered risk production. By contrast, AI-focused hyperscalers underperformed, with Meta, Microsoft, Amazon, and Alphabet each falling more than 2%.