Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke On Wednesday

The push-back came on Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke's last day on the job and two days after the U.S. central bank reduced the pace of its huge asset purchase program. The Fed made the move on Wednesday despite a bruising selloff in emerging markets that was prompted in part by the prospect of less U.S. monetary support.

On Wednesday, Bernanke, 60, quietly adjourned his final policy-setting meeting after an unusually tumultuous eight-year stint atop the world's most influential central bank.

Markets will watch for minutes of the Fed's October 29-30 meeting due Wednesday and a string of speeches from Fed officials including Chairman Ben Bernanke, who is due to speak on Tuesday.

Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke on Wednesday refused to commit to begin reducing the central bank's bond purchases this year, and instead went out of his way to stress the programme was "not on a preset course". Many had expected a $10 billion cut to the $85 billion monthly bond purchases following strong economic data.

US stocks rose modestly on Wednesday after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said the central bank's plan to start winding down its monetary stimulus later this year depended on the economy's performance.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said on Wednesday the U.S. central bank would continue to pursue an accommodative monetary policy as inflation remained low and the unemployment rate might be understating the weakness of the labour market.

The sharp pullback earlier was on account of a statement by Fed chairman Ben Bernanke, which said on Wednesday that the U.S. needs "highly accommodative monetary policy" or low interest rates "for the foreseeable future."

Gold plunged after Fed chairman Ben Bernanke said on Wednesday the US economy was expanding strongly enough for the central bank to begin slowing the pace of its bond-buying stimulus later this year.

US Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke said on Wednesday that the US central bank expects to slow the pace of its bond purchases later this year and bring them to a halt around the middle of 2014, comments that weighed on stocks and pushed bond yields to a 15-month high.

U.S. stocks opened higher on Wednesday after declining for the past three sessions, with investors' focus on the Federal Reserve's policy statement and news conference by Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke later in the day.

US stocks rallied for a second straight day on Wednesday as Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke reaffirmed his strong support for the Fed's stimulus efforts, while the euro climbed after solid demand at an auction of Italian government debt.

US stocks rose 1 percent on Wednesday as Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke remained steadfast in his support of the Fed's stimulus policy and data pointed to economic improvement.

Asian shares were on the back foot on Wednesday after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke offered a gloomy view of the US economy.

Asian shares paused as investors awaited Federal Reserve Chairman's view on the US economy.

The Dow Jones average closed down 0.1% at 12,824. The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 0.2% to 1,355.69.

The push-back came on Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke's last day on the job and two days after the U.S. central bank reduced the pace of its huge asset purchase program. The Fed made the move on Wednesday despite a bruising selloff in emerging markets that was prompted in part by the prospect of less U.S. monetary support.

On Wednesday, Bernanke, 60, quietly adjourned his final policy-setting meeting after an unusually tumultuous eight-year stint atop the world's most influential central bank.

Markets will watch for minutes of the Fed's October 29-30 meeting due Wednesday and a string of speeches from Fed officials including Chairman Ben Bernanke, who is due to speak on Tuesday.

Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke on Wednesday refused to commit to begin reducing the central bank's bond purchases this year, and instead went out of his way to stress the programme was "not on a preset course". Many had expected a $10 billion cut to the $85 billion monthly bond purchases following strong economic data.

US stocks rose modestly on Wednesday after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said the central bank's plan to start winding down its monetary stimulus later this year depended on the economy's performance.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said on Wednesday the U.S. central bank would continue to pursue an accommodative monetary policy as inflation remained low and the unemployment rate might be understating the weakness of the labour market.

The sharp pullback earlier was on account of a statement by Fed chairman Ben Bernanke, which said on Wednesday that the U.S. needs "highly accommodative monetary policy" or low interest rates "for the foreseeable future."

Gold plunged after Fed chairman Ben Bernanke said on Wednesday the US economy was expanding strongly enough for the central bank to begin slowing the pace of its bond-buying stimulus later this year.

US Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke said on Wednesday that the US central bank expects to slow the pace of its bond purchases later this year and bring them to a halt around the middle of 2014, comments that weighed on stocks and pushed bond yields to a 15-month high.

U.S. stocks opened higher on Wednesday after declining for the past three sessions, with investors' focus on the Federal Reserve's policy statement and news conference by Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke later in the day.

US stocks rallied for a second straight day on Wednesday as Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke reaffirmed his strong support for the Fed's stimulus efforts, while the euro climbed after solid demand at an auction of Italian government debt.

US stocks rose 1 percent on Wednesday as Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke remained steadfast in his support of the Fed's stimulus policy and data pointed to economic improvement.

Asian shares were on the back foot on Wednesday after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke offered a gloomy view of the US economy.

Asian shares paused as investors awaited Federal Reserve Chairman's view on the US economy.

The Dow Jones average closed down 0.1% at 12,824. The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 0.2% to 1,355.69.