S&P 500 Inches Closer to Record as Global Stocks Rise<br />Gold rose $6.80 to settle at $1,277.30 per ounce, silver gained 48 cents to $17.18 per ounce and copper climbed 4 cents to $3.14 per pound.<br />The Federal Reserve said the U. S. economy is rising "at a solid rate," even with damage from recent<br />hurricanes, as it announced a decision to hold interest rates steady at their low levels.<br />By The Associated Press<br />NEW YORK — Rising energy stocks helped nudge the Standard & Poor’s 500 close to its record high,<br />but drops for smaller stocks left U. S. indexes mixed on Wednesday.<br />Natural gas was virtually flat at $2.89 per 1,000 cubic feet, heating oil fell 2 cents to $1.86 per gallon<br />and wholesale gasoline rose 1 cent to $1.74 per gallon.
