Dow Jones Today Hits Record Close of 17,156 on Fed Meeting News

Dow Jones Today, Sept. 17, 2014: The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at a record high Wednesday afternoon after the U.S. Federal Reserve released a statement that indicates its intent to maintain low interest rates for "a considerable time." Markets were quiet for most of the day, as investors were looking to determine whether the central bank plans to boost interest rates before the consensus expectations of mid-2015. The central bank will keep rates low as its massive bond-purchasing program ends next month.

On the international front, markets in Europe were mostly flat the day before Scottish voters go to the polls to decide whether they want independence from the United Kingdom. A vote "yes" could lead to structural problems in the British banking sector and drive greater geopolitical volatility.

Here's the scorecard from today's stock market close:

Dow: 17,156.92, +24.95 (+0.15%)               
Nasdaq: 4,562.19, +9.43 (+0.21%)  
S&P 500: 2,001.57, +2.59 (+0.13%)

Now, here are the top stories from the stock market today:

• Merger Mania: Shares of Auxilium Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq: AUXL) were up 45% on news that the company is exploring a potential $2.2 billion takeover bid from Endo International Plc. (Nasdaq: ENDP). Shares of ENDP rose by more than 4.5% on the news.

• It Begins: Shares of Net Element International Inc. (Nasdaq: NETE) were up more than 20% intraday after the company announced plans to integrate Apple Pay in its point-of-sale payment hardware and software. The news is the first of what is expected to be many deals that tech giant Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) is expected to ink following the introduction of its new payment services last week.

• The Big Beat: Shares of FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) were up more than 3% today on news that the company beat consensus quarterly earnings. The company reported per-share first-quarter earnings of $2.10, beating market estimates of $1.96. The company announced plans to increase its shipping rates by an average of 4.9% in 2015 and said it expects a busy holiday season, driven by heavy e-commerce orders. Its rival United Parcel Service Inc. (NYSE: UPS) announced yesterday that it plans to add 95,000 temporary workers ahead of the holiday season in order to meet expected demand. UPS shares were up more than 1% on the day.

• Yield for All: Shares of Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT) were down 0.5% on news that the company planned to increase its dividend by 11% this year. The new dividend would produce an annual yield of roughly 2.6%, in line with other tech companies like Intel Corp. (Nasdaq: INTL). In addition, the company has announced the appointment of two new board members, bringing its board total to 12. Microsoft also made news earlier this week when it announced the purchase of "Minecraft" game maker Mojang on Monday - here's why Microsoft's comeback has only just begun...

• So Long: Sports apparel giant Nike Corp. (NYSE: NKE) has announced that it is cutting ties with NFL superstar Adrian Peterson after the player was accused of child abuse in Texas over the weekend. The NFL player was deactivated for Sunday's game and has been placed on a list that will prevent him from participating in games until the situation is resolved.

Now our experts share some of the most important investment moves to make based on today's market trading - for Money Morning Members only:

• 252 Million Years Ago, This Nearly Wiped Out All Life... Tomorrow, It Could Solve Our Energy Problems: According to an April study issued in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, permafrost soil, which typically remains frozen all year, is thawing and decomposing at an accelerating rate. But after a shocking discovery, it seems something locked in the soil could become the fuel of the future... and you could profit big off the new revolution.

• The Best Way to Invest in Google's 3D Printing Breakthrough: The 3D printing field has been around for many years now. It's one of the tech sector's most exciting fields -  and it offers plenty of long-term upside. And one company in this sector is poised for a fresh breakout.

• The Clear Map to This "Hidden" Investment Treasure: As scientists reach the discovery limits of "one-size-fits-all" drugs and the ailments that respond to them, such as infections and circulatory diseases, they find themselves up against tougher, wilier, more intractable challenges... But these companies tackling the genetics field are poised for major profits...

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