U.S. stock indexes were flat Wednesday as investors awaited the release of the Federal Reserve’s latest meeting minutes for insights into when the central bank may start removing stimulus.
The Dow Jones Industrials demurred 20.62 points to 35,322.66.
The S&P 500 fell 0.79 points to 4,447.29.
The NASDAQ edged ahead 2.14 points to 14,658.32.
Investors waded through more earnings reports from major retailers Tuesday.
Shares of Lowe’s popped more than 8% after earnings last quarter topped expectations, with higher sales to home professionals.
Meanwhile, Target shares pulled back even after beating on second-quarter earnings. The retailer’s profit and revenue topped expectations and the company raised its forecast for the second half of the year, citing a good start to back-to-school spending.
Target shares were up 44% this year through Tuesday, so some investors may be taking profits.
The Federal Reserve publishes its meeting minutes from its July gathering at 2 p.m. ET. Market participants will be looking for clues about when the central bank could start dialing back its monthly bond buying program.
Since that July meeting, there’s been growing support within the Fed to announce a tapering in September and begin it in October.
Elsewhere, housing starts fell 7% in July to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.534 million units, well below economists’ expectations.
Prices for 10-Year Treasurys were unchanged, keeping yields at Tuesday’s 1.27%.
Oil prices recovered 33 cents to $66.92 U.S. a barrel.
Gold prices repaired 50 cents to $1,767.30 U.S. an ounce.