US Mid-Session 18 Feb 16: Markets like the news the Federal Reserve could wait for calm before lifting rates

US sharemarkets rose again on Wednesday with higher oil prices boosting stocks in the energy sector. The S&P Energy sector rose by 3.2%. Shares in Fossil and Priceline posted solid gains after earnings beat forecasts. With an hour of trade to go, the Dow Jones index was up by almost 250 points or 1.5% with the S&P 500 index up by 1.6% and the Nasdaq was higher by 90 points or 2.0%.

Minutes of the last Federal Reserve meeting revealed that policymakers discussed "altering their earlier views of the appropriate path for the target range for the federal funds rate". The minutes also noted "If the recent tightening of global financial conditions was sustained, it could be a factor amplifying downside risks to the economy."