The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) is down 1 point, or 7.7%, at 12.27.
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USA stocks climbed Wednesday as investors were relieved that the Federal Reserve once again left interest rates unchanged.
While the Fed said the risks to economic outlook were roughly “balanced”, it left rates unchanged for want of “further evidence of continued progress”.
The Fed also said in the statement that near-term risks to the United States economic outlook “appear roughly balanced”, a further sign that the central bank could raise rates by the end of this year.
The Fed strongly signaled it could still tighten monetary policy by the end of this year, while three dissenters said they favored raising rates this week.
The dollar index.DXY declined 0.4 percent on Thursday, and was on track to mark the second straight day of losses after the central bank’s decision.
Traders generally had not expected the Fed to raise rates, with bets before the meeting of only an 18 per cent chance of a hike, according to the CME FedWatch website.
On the heels of Wednesday’s huge win, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) is again up triple digits on Fed tailwinds, while the Nasdaq Composite (COMP) is fresh off an all-time high. All but one of its 30 components were higher.
The technology index .SPLRCT rose 0.5 percent, giving the benchmark S&P 500 index its biggest boost. Energy shares were the best performing sector, up 2.1 per cent, as oil prices rose.
The S&P 500 is up 119.18 points, or 5.8 percent.
The Fed has held its target rate for overnight lending between banks in a range of 0.25 per cent to 0.50 per cent since December, when it raised borrowing costs for the first time in almost a decade.
Weyerhaeuser was the top percentage gainer on the S&P, rising 5.1 per cent to $31.88 after Goldman Sachs initiated coverage of the real estate investment trust with a “buy” rating.
Advancing issues outnumbered decliners on the NYSE by 2,136 to 720.
Nasdaq-traded companies with especially impressive gains included Amazon, up 1.2 per cent, eBay, up 2 per cent and Yahoo, up 3.2 per cent. Apple was flat.
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The S&P 500 index showed 27 new 52-week highs and no new lows, while the Nasdaq recorded 115 new highs and nine new lows.
