Stocks are ticking higher on Wall Street following a rush of profit reports from some of the country’s most influential companies. The S&P 500 rose 0.3% in early Thursday trading. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 14 points,

U.S. stocks slipped after the Federal Reserve held its main interest rate steady and broke a run of cuts that began in September

U.S. stocks ended lower on Wednesday, but off their lows of the day, with the Federal Reserve holding interest rates steady as expected and Fed Chair Jerome Powell offering soothing comments for investors.