The US stock markets showed a mixed performance on Wednesday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average closing at 42,172 points, a decline of 0.1 percent from the previous trading day.
The broader S&P 500 index, meanwhile, slipped 0.1 percent to around 5,975 points, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite added less than a point to reach approximately 21,720 points.
Market participants reacted to the Federal Reserve’s decision to leave interest rates unchanged, a move that had been widely anticipated. While some investors, including US President Donald Trump, had hoped for a rate cut, the Fed cited ongoing economic uncertainty, often linked to the president’s trade policies.
The “dot plot” of the Federal Reserve, which shows the central bank’s interest rate expectations, was of particular interest to investors. Similar to the March forecast, the majority of Fed officials still expect two rate cuts this year, although the number of those who do not expect any rate cuts has increased.
The euro was slightly weaker against the US dollar on Wednesday evening, with one euro equivalent to 1.1470 US dollars and one dollar worth 0.8718 euros.
Gold prices were also lower, with a troy ounce selling for 3,366 US dollars, a 0.7 percent decline, or 94.35 euros per gram.
Oil prices, meanwhile, fell, with a barrel of Brent crude selling for 76.29 US dollars, a decline of 16 cents or 0.2 percent from the previous trading day’s close.