The US S & P 500 index closed almost stable with a sharp decline in utility stocks, while the Nasdaq index rose as investors assessed the likelihood that the Federal Reserve will have to keep interest rates high for a longer period.
According to preliminary data, the S & P 500 index rose by 0.49 points or 0.01 percent to close at 4288.54 points, while the Nasdaq Composite Index climbed 88.45 points or 0.67 percent to 13307.77 points.
This comes as the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 74.08 points, or 0.22 percent, to 33,433.42 points.
Earlier, the US Federal Reserve announced a new decision on US interest rates on Wednesday, which the markets had been waiting for, hinting at further tightening over the coming period.
The Fed decided to fix interest rates at 5.5 % as they are at the highest level in 22 years, stressing that the Federal Open Market Committee seeks to maximize employment and inflation at a rate of 2% in the long term
