Wall Street mixed, trading cautiously around the Trump trade post abrupt firing of FBI chief

US stocks opened with a soft undertone due to the political uncertainty triggered by President Trump's abrupt firing of the FBI director Comey, but markets soon shrugged that off and continued cautiously while VIX remained at 23-year lows. 

In respect of the benchmarks, the Nasdaq Composite was the best performer,  closing at a record high again for the fourth session in a row on Wednesday. It is earnings season and the solid earnings have fuelled the demand for the technology sector and a bid in WTI added to the risk-back-on sentiment.  

The Nasdaq Composite Index COMP, +0.14% was finishing up by 8 points, or 0.1%, to close at 6,129. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 SPX, +0.11% closed by just 2 points higher, or 0.1%, closing at 2,399 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA, -0.16% actually lows 34 points, or 0.2%, to close lower at 20,942.

Other closing news:

• Forex today: market shrug off Comey news but remain cautious, dollar still firm, US yields breaking up
• US Dollar Index rises for the third day in a row