Stocks Extend Gains

Stocks made small advances on Wednesday following the Federal Reserve's decision to hold interest rates at a record low. The Dow Jones Industrial average finished the day off with a gain of 30.23 points. The Standard and Poor's 500 index and Nasdaq ended closer to the flat line, but on different sides. Stocks rose early in the session as investors welcomed a pair of labor market reports that signaled the pace of layoffs is slowing. Comments from the Fed contributed to the positive momentum during afternoon trading. The central bank also reiterated that it will continue to employ a wide range of tools to promote economic recovery. This statement helped calm some jitters on Wall Street. In earnings news, Kraft Foods (KFT) reported weaker quarterly earnings that topped estimates on weaker revenue that missed estimates. Comcast (CCT) reported higher quarterly earnings that topped forecasts . The dollar fell against other major currencies, helping to send commodities prices higher. U.S. light crude oil for December delivery rose cents 80 cents to settle at $80.40 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Word on the Street

New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo is at it again. He has filed an antitrust lawsuit against the computer chip manufacturing giant Intel (INTC), accusing the company of engaging in a "systematic worldwide campaign of illegal, exclusionary conduct to maintain its monopoly power," in the market for computer chips starting in 2001.

Making Sense of the Cuomo's Big Antitrust Suit Against Intel

Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK.A) may be on its way to being stripped of its AAA rating by Standard & Poor's. This possibility surfaced a day after the company agreed to purchase Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp. (BNI) for $44 billion in a cash and stock deal.

Mickey and Minnie Mouse are on their way to China . The Chinese central government has approved Walt Disney Co.'s (DIS) planned theme park in Shanghai. Negotiations about opening the theme park in China have been going on for nearly 10 years.

Video -- Disney Comes to China

JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) agreed to a $722 million settlement with the US Securities and Exchange Commission to end a probe into sales of derivatives that pushed a highly-populated county in Alabama to the brink of bankruptcy.

Most automakers are having a good week. Japanese automaker Nissan Motor Co. (NSAN.Y) climbed back into the black last quarter thanks to an increase in China sales. The company also raised its global sales forecast to 3.3 million vehicles from 3.08 million.

Private sector employers axed 203,000 jobs in October, according to new numbers put out Wednesday by employment services firm ADP. There is some good news on the horizon according to Macroeconomic Advisers LLC. The company's chairman Joel Prakken is expecting the U.S. job market to start growing in early 2010 .

The Federal Reserve concluded its two day meeting today. The Feds kept its key interest rates near zero once again and said that they'll stay there for "extended period" despite recent signs of economic turnaround.

The Fed and its "Extended Period" Language

Could the Fed really drain $1 trillion in reserves by next March?

Video -- Fed Holds the Line

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