Stocks, yields end higher after Fed raises interest rates

Stocks reversed an afternoon fade and closed broadly higher Wednesday after the Federal Reserve announced its first interest rate hike since 2018.

As Wall Street largely anticipated, the central bank announced it was increasing its key short-term rate by 0.25 percentage points. The Fed, which has kept its rate near zero since the pandemic recession struck two years ago, also signaled potentially up to seven rate hikes this year.

The move marks a shift in policy by the Fed away from maintaining ultra-low interest rates as it seeks to tame inflation, which is running at the highest level since the early 1980s. Rate hikes eventually result in higher loan rates for many consumers and businesses.