The Dow and the S&P 500 trimmed losses on Wednesday and were little changed after the Federal Reserve released data that eased inflation worries. Shares of energy companies like Exxon Mobil Corp rose along with oil prices, helping both the Dow and the S&P 500 cut most of their earlier losses. Exxon Mobil was up 1 percent at $59.12. ConocoPhillips, an S&P 500 component, was up 1.3 percent at $57.29, after hitting a fresh 52-week high at $57.40.
The Dow Jones industrial average was down 5.44 points, or 0.05 percent, at 10,542.13. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index was down just 0.45 of a point, or 0.04 percent, at 1,203.46. The technology-laced Nasdaq Composite Index was down 4.37 points, or 0.22 percent, at 2,064.57.