US benchmark equity indexes ended higher Wednesday as the Federal Reserve held its benchmark lending rate steady for a second straight meeting and said that uncertainty regarding the economic outlook has moved higher.

The Federal Open Market Committee left interest rates in the range of 4.25% to 4.50%, in line with Wall Street's expectations. Policymakers reduced rates by 50 basis points in September and by 25 basis points each in November and December.

"Uncertainty around the economic outlook has increased," the FOMC said Wednesday following its two-day meeting. Policymakers reiterated their recent remarks that inflation remained "somewhat elevated" and that economic activity has continued to expand at a solid rate.

Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to limit attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities, while rejecting a broader 30-day ceasefire, Commerzbank said in a note. The US says talks on a total ceasefire will start immediately, the note said. The market's expectation of a quick resolution, in line with the US President Donald Trump's desire, will need to be reassessed, Jorge Leon, head of geopolitical analysis at Rystad Energy, said in a note.

April West Texas Intermediate crude oil closed up $0.36 to settle at $67.26 per barrel, while May Brent crude, the global benchmark, was last seen up $0.37 to $70.93 after a report of rise in US inventories last week matching expectations.

Boeing's Q1 cash outflow will likely be smaller than previously projected due to ongoing stabilization of factory operations and a clearing out of inventory, Chief Financial Officer Brian West said during a conference, according to a transcript from FactSet. Boeing's shares jumped 7.1%.

Gilead shares fell 2.9%. The company should not see any impact from the reported cost reductions at the US Department of Health and Human Services, Truist said. The reported changes in the financial overhaul, which appear to be targeting the HIV portion of the prevention efforts, are not expected to affect HIV drug reimbursement or national coverage, the investment firm said.

Portfolio News

Active Trading Portfolio: No trades yesterday. We let the news from the Fed announcement pass. We are lining up a number of FX trades today. We will notify our premium and pro members via whats app when we decide to place the trades. Check Out the Active Trading Portfolio.
Option Trading Portfolio:
- SPY Financed Bear Put Spread: Two of our legs expire on Friday and so far it is looking great! There is nothing to do should SPY close below $570 or rise above $580. If SPY closes on between $570 and $580 then we will sell our long $580 put on Friday. This will then leave only our $560 short puts which expire in April. We will notify our Pro and Premium members via whats app on Friday.
- Possible New Trades:
  - EUR.USD Futures Options: We're eyeing the EUR/USD and contemplating selling the 1.12 April Calls on the EUR/USD June futures!
  - SPY: We like option trades on SPY to capitalise on this volatility.
    Check Out the Option Trading portfolio.
Buy and Hold Portfolio: Coterra energy continues to lead the way with an ROI of 24% since we bought it. Our long-term portfolio is up 7.18% year-to-date, exceeding the S&P 500's nearly 10% loss. We have over 14 stocks ready for purchase post-selloff, but will wait until after the April 2nd tariffs. Pro and Premium members will be notified via WhatsApp upon any new purchases. Check out out the Buy and Hold Portfolio.