POWELL: INFLATION IS KIND OF MISBEHAVING POWELL: MAYBE A LITTLE BIT OF RESTRICTION IS RIGHT PLACE TO BE

US stocks trimmed losses on Wednesday, with the Nasdaq Composite finishing slightly higher while the S&P 500 slipped and the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell about 0.6%, as investors reacted to the Federal Reserve’s decision to keep rates unchanged in a split 8–4 vote, the first four-way dissent since 1992. Fed chair Jerome Powell said he will remain as a governor after his term ends. Energy markets added pressure, with oil prices jumping more than 4%, as Brent crude rose above $111 per barrel and WTI exceeded $106 per barrel following reports of continued restrictions linked to the Strait of Hormuz and Iran-related tensions.

POWELL: SEES CORE PCE AT 3.2%