Markets mixed, Fed “not thinking about raising rates”

Markets were mixed on Wednesday.

In the US, the S&P 500 fell 0.5 percent but the Nasdaq Composite rose 0.7 percent to a record high.

Elsewhere, the STOXX Europe 600 fell 0.4 percent but the Nikkei 225 rose 0.2 percent.

US stocks fell even though Federal Reserve showed no inclination to raise interest rates after its monetary policy meeting on Wednesday.

“We’re not thinking about raising rates, we’re not even thinking about thinking about raising rates,” said Fed chairman Jerome Powell. He said that there remains “a lot of work” to do with millions still out of jobs.