Stocks Ended Mostly Lower after Fed Minutes

U.S. stocks ended mostly lower on Wednesday, after the Federal Reserve minutes indicated that an interest-rate hike is likely but the pace of future tightening could be more moderate than expected given muted inflation. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 64.65 points, or 0.27%, to 23,526.18. The S&P 500 lost 1.95 points, or 0.08%, to 2,597.08. The Nasdaq Composite added 4.88 points, or 0.07%, to 6,867.36.

U.S. oil prices rallied above $58 a barrel on Wednesday to mark their highest settlement since the end of June 2015. January West Texas Intermediate crude climbed by $1.19, or 2.1%, to settle at $58.02 a barrel.

Chipmaker Broadcom Ltd is considering raising its offer to buy rival Qualcomm Inc by offering more of its own stock, following consultation with several of Qualcomm’s top shareholders, according to people familiar with the matter.