Stocks end up after Fed pledges to keep rates low

NEW YORK -- The Federal Reserve's mildly upbeat take on the economy and its pledge to hold interest rates low has given stocks a lift.

The Fed says Tuesday that businesses are spending "significantly" more on equipment and software. The Fed also has a marginally more upbeat assessment of the job market, though it said employers remain reluctant to hire.

The Fed remarks follow its latest meeting on interest rates.

The Dow is up 44 to close at 10,686. It's the sixth straight increase for the Dow. The Standard & Poor's 500 index is up 9 at 1,159. The Nasdaq composite is up 16 at 2,378.

More than two stocks rose for every one that fell on the New York Stock Exchange. Trading volume came to 1.1 billion shares compared with 926.7 million Monday.