NEW YORK, Jan. 27 (UPI) -- U.S. stocks recovered from morning losses Wednesday after the Federal Reserve Bank said it would keep lending rates at zero to 0.25 percent.
The Fed's Open Market Committee cited improvements in the economy, including an abating number of losses in the labor market.
Stocks stumbled early after the Census Bureau said new home sales dropped lower than expected in December. New home sales fell 7.6 percent in December compared with November.
By close, the Dow Jones industrial average added 41.87 points, 0.41 percent, to 10,236.16. The Standard & Poor's 500 gained 0.49 percent, 5.33, to 1,097.50. The Nasdaq composite index added 0.8 percent, 17.68 points, to 2,221.41.
On the New York Stock Exchange, stocks split nearly down the middle with 1,517 stocks advancing and 1,515 declining on a volume of 5.3 billion shares traded.
The benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury bill fell 8/32 to yield 3.65 percent.
The euro fell to $1.4019 from Tuesday's $1.4079. Against the yen, the dollar rose to 89.94 from Tuesday's 89.64 yen.
In Japan, the Nikkei 225 index lost 0.71 percent, 73.20, to 10,252.08.
In Britain, the FTSE 100 index lost 1.13 percent, 59.38, to 5,217.47.
