US stocks were mostly higher on Wednesday, with the S&P 500 up 0.3% and the Nasdaq gaining 0.4%, while the Dow Jones hovered around the flatline. Investor sentiment remained cautious ahead of the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy decision later in the day and quarterly results from major companies, including Microsoft and Alphabet, scheduled for release after the closing bell.
The Fed is widely expected to keep interest rates unchanged, following a 25 bps increase last month, with market attention centered on policymakers’ guidance for the remainder of the year.
In sector moves, US semiconductor stocks advanced in premarket trading, supported by record quarterly profits from South Korea’s SK Hynix. Broadcom rose 2%, Micron Technology climbed 4.9% and AMD added 1.8%. Alphabet gained 1.2% amid reports that OpenAI plans to purchase Google’s AI chips. By contrast, real estate and materials were the weakest-performing sectors.
