USA stocks end higher on Wednesday

The S&P 500 was down 0.1%, and the Nasdaq Composite was flat.

According to the minutes, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) made a decision to indicate that in determining whether it would be appropriate to raise the target range at its next meeting, it would assess both realized and expected progress toward its objectives of maximum employment and 2 percent inflation.

After posting a 1.5 percent rally Monday, stocks yesterday closed little changed as falling energy shares offset positive earnings from Wal-Mart Stores Inc.

“The Fed continues to signal it will raise rates in December and the market sees this as a vote of confidence in the economy after the turbulence at the end of the summer”, said Gregori Volokhine, president of Meeschaert Capital Markets.

In the mining sector, BHP Billiton is adding 0.3 percent and Rio Tinto is rising 0.4 percent, while Fortescue Metals is losing 2 percent.

Dow component UnitedHealth’s shares were down 6 percent to $112.80 in premarket trading after the health insurer cut its full-year profit forecast. “So if a degree of credibility is to be maintained, it would be best for all if rates went up a quarter”, said David Buik, market commentator at Panmure Gordon & Co., in a note Thursday.

The most active gold contract for December delivery rose $0.1, or 0.01 percent, to settle at $1,068.70 per ounce. Meanwhile, Nippon Electric Glass is losing 2.7 percent and Tokyo Tatemono is down 2.6 percent.

Elsewhere, on the currencies front, the yen touched its lowest level in eight days against the dollar, while the Australian dollar slid 0.09% against its United States counterpart. Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan are marginally lower.

Stocks were slightly lower in early trading on Thursday morning, following strong gains in the previous session.

At the closing bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 248 points, or 1.4 per cent, to 17,737.

“Following October’s surprisingly hawkish statement investors will be keen to investigate the nitty-gritty of the Fed’s last get-together in order to try and ascertain the likelihood of that a much talked-about December lift-off”, suggests Connor Campbell, of spread betting firm Spreadex.

While the German DAX Index shot up by 1.1 percent, the U.K.’s FTSE 100 Index advanced by 0.8 percent and the French CAC 40 Index edged up by 0.2 percent. Crude oil for January delivery slipped $0.23 to $41.72 a barrel.