Stocks Jump After the Fed Gives Wall Street What It Hoped For

Investors searched for hints Wednesday on whether the Federal Reserve might begin cutting interest rates next year. The central bank didn’t disappoint. 

Stocks hovered near the flatline throughout the trading session until Fed members unanimously voted to hold rates steady and signaled that they could begin easing monetary policy next year. While Chair Jerome Powell left the possibility of additional hikes on the table, markets paid little attention.