Wednesday

Weak housing data and cautious remarks from the Federal Reserve fueled a volatile day in financial markets, leaving major stock indexes mixed at the closing bell, the dollar lower and Treasurys higher. The central bank's policy committee left its key interest rate target near zero, as expected. The likelihood that the Fed will keep rates low to spur the economy weighed on the dollar. But many traders were more focused on the economy's big picture, which has become murkier since a weak payrolls report earlier this month. DJIA +4.92 Nasdaq -7.57 S&P 500 -3.27.