Major U.S. stock-indexes little changed on Wednesday afternoon, awaiting the outcome of the U.S. Federal Reserve's meeting on monetary policy. While interest rates are expected to remain unchanged, investors will parse the Fed's commentary for clues on the path of future hikes as the economy begins to show signs of recovery. Data on Wednesday showed underlying U.S. inflation rose more than expected in February, while the housing market continued to strengthen, bolstering the Fed's case that the economy was strong enough to withstand a gradual increase in rates.

Most of Dow stocks in negative area (19 of 30). Top looser - Pfizer Inc. (PFE, -1,83%). Top gainer - Caterpillar Inc. (CAT, +0,64%).

Most of S&P sectors in negative area. Top looser - Healthcare (-1,0%). Top gainer - Basic Materials (+1,5%).

At the moment:

Dow 17126.00 -22.00 -0.13%

S&P 500 2001.25 -5.25 -0.26%

Nasdaq 100 4353.75 -2.50 -0.06%

Oil 37.81 +1.47 +4.05%

Gold 1229.70 -1.30 -0.11%

U.S. 10yr 1.99 +0.03