S&P 500 hits record after Fed holds steady on rate policy
By Noel Randewich and Shreyashi Sanyal
Reuters
(Reuters) - The S&P 500 hit an intra-day record high on Wednesday after the U.S. Federal Reserve held interest rates and its monthly bond-buying program steady and gave no sign it was ready to reduce its support for the recovery.
Despite the improving economy, the Fed repeated the guidance it has used since December, saying it must see "substantial further progress" towards its inflation and employment goals before stepping back from its monthly bond purchases.
"The Fed underscored a lot of uncertainty remains. In this kind of a backdrop, with inflation being transitory, they'll continue to be pedal to the metal in terms of monetary policy," said Kevin Flanagan, head of fixed income strategy at WisdomTree Funds.