US stocks were mixed in the final trading session before the release on Friday of the December jobs report.
In a choppy session, the S&P 500 closed 0.2 per cent higher on Wednesday, while the Nasdaq Composite fell 0.1 per cent. Both indices dropped more than 1 per cent on Tuesday.
Minutes of the Federal Reserve’s December meeting, released during afternoon trading, showed central bank officials saw the need for a “careful approach” to future interest rate cuts. Still, the minutes did little to move traders’ expectations that the first interest rate cut this year from the Fed will arrive in July.
Official jobs data released on Friday will provide investors with their next opportunity to weigh the outlook for monetary policy this year.
The US equities and Treasury market will be closed on Thursday for the memorial for former president Jimmy Carter.
