The S&P 500 ended slightly lower on Wednesday, as an initial boost from the likes of Apple, Boeing and General Electric following their quarterly results faded in the wake of a policy announcement from the Federal Reserve.
Oreo cookie maker Mondelez International Inc on Wednesday beat quarterly revenue estimates on higher demand for its snacks in emerging markets, sending shares up 3%.
U.S. grains trader Archer Daniels Midland Co on Wednesday reported a 60% rise in quarterly profit from last year which included a bigger asset impairment and restructuring charge.
British Airways has suspended all direct flights to and from mainland China, one of the biggest names in aviation to do so, as worries grow about the impact of the spreading coronavirus on global travel.
Global equity markets edged higher on Wednesday on strong results from Apple and others but concerns about the coronavirus outbreak in China kept a safe-haven bid in gold and the dollar alive.
Oil prices were mixed on Wednesday as worries about the coronavirus outbreak and swelling U.S. crude inventories weighed on prices, counter-balanced by talk that OPEC could extend oil output cuts.
Alphabet Inc's Google is temporarily shutting down all its offices in China due to the outbreak of a new coronavirus in the country, technology website The Verge reported on Wednesday.
The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady on Wednesday at its first policy meeting of the year, with the head of the U.S. central bank pointing to continued moderate economic growth and a "strong" job market, and giving no sign of any imminent changes in borrowing costs.
Lyft Inc said on Wednesday it had cut about 2% of its workforce, or 90 jobs, as the ride-hailing company seeks to achieve its goal of profitability by the end of 2021.
Lyft Inc plans to announce a restructuring that will result in job cuts, the New York Times reported on Wednesday, citing two people with knowledge of the matter.
Boeing Co on Wednesday swung to its first annual loss since 1997 as 737 MAX costs doubled to nearly $19 billion, and the plane manufacturer indicated it would again cut production of its bigger 787 Dreamliner aircraft, currently its main source of cash.
Royal Dutch Shell said on Wednesday director Euleen Goh would take over as its deputy chair from May 20.
Executives at Apple, Starbucks and McDonald's are all raising flags about the impact the Chinese coronavirus could have on business.
The Federal Reserve's decision to keep rates unchanged gives everyday Americans an opportunity to improve their financial picture as a new year begins.
Following is the full text of the statement released by the Federal Reserve's Federal Open Market Committee on Wednesday following a two-day meeting: