Stocks stall as Fed prepares to remove aid

NEW YORK -- An early advance in stocks stalled Wednesday as the Federal Reserve reminded investors it would start to wean the economy from an array of emergency supports next year.

Investors knew several of the programs would be dismantled next year, but policymakers hadn't confirmed the precise timing.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 10.88 to 10,441.12.

The broader Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 1.25 to 1,109.18. It is up 22.8 percent for the year.

The Nasdaq composite index rose 5.86 to 2,206.91.

Bond prices mostly fell, pushing yields higher, following the Fed's more upbeat assessment of the economy. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note rose to 3.61 percent from 3.60 percent late Tuesday. Prices had been higher ahead of the Fed's announcement.