U.S. stocks are slipping Wednesday after the Federal Reserve opted not to cut interest rates for the first time since it began trying to help the economy through easier rates in September. The S&P 500 was down 0.

U.S. stocks ended lower on Wednesday, but off their lows of the day, with the Federal Reserve holding interest rates steady as expected and Fed Chair Jerome Powell offering soothing comments for investors.

Equity markets diverged Wednesday as attention turned away from recent turbulence in tech stocks to the outlook for interest rates, with the Fed and the ECB both holding their first