US Equities Markets End Higher Wednesday as Fed Meeting Minutes Adds to Likelihood of Rate Reduction

US benchmark equity indexes ended higher Wednesday as markets parsed meeting minutes from the Federal Open Market Committee meeting in July.

* A "vast majority" of policymakers indicated late last month that an interest rate cut in September would likely be appropriate if new data continued to be in line with expectations, minutes from the Federal Reserve's July 30-31 monetary policy committee meeting showed.

* Markets will be closely watching Fed Chair Jerome Powell's remarks on Friday at the annual economic symposium in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, for clues regarding potential monetary easing.

* September West Texas Intermediate crude oil closed down $1.24 to settle at $71.93 per barrel, while October Brent crude, the global benchmark, was last seen down $1.50 to $75.70 despite a report showing U.S. inventories fell last week, as the focus remains on weak China demand and easing international tensions.

* Keysight Technologies (KEYS) shares jumped nearly 14% as the electronics test and measurement equipment manufacturer posted better-than-expected fiscal Q3 results, while Chief Executive Satish Dhanasekaran forecast H2 orders to be higher than the previous six-month period.

* American Express (AXP) shares fell 2.7% after BofA downgraded the stock to neutral from buy, saying it sees a "limited incremental upside given potential for subdued billings volume growth and current premium valuation."