US Equity Markets Close Higher as Fed Minutes Highlight Divisions on Rate Path

04:17 PM EST, 02/18/2026 (MT Newswires) -- US equity indexes closed higher Wednesday after meeting minutes from the January Federal Open Market Committee meeting confirmed a difference of opinion among policymakers.

* Minutes from the Jan. 27-28 meeting showed some Fed officials favored additional interest-rate cuts, others argued for keeping policy unchanged for an extended period, and a smaller group said borrowing costs may need to rise if inflation accelerates.

* US industrial production rose by 0.7% in January, beating expectations for a 0.4% increase in a Bloomberg survey.

* March West Texas Intermediate crude oil rose $3.18 to settle at $65.48 per barrel, while April Brent crude, the global benchmark, was last seen up $3.18 at $70.58.

* Global Payments (GPN) shares rose 17%, the top gainer on the S&P 500, after the company guided full-year earnings above Wall Street's estimates after reporting stronger-than-expected Q4 results.

* Palo Alto Networks (PANW) shares fell 6.8%, the biggest decline on the S&P, a day after the company cut its fiscal 2026 earnings guidance.

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