U.S. stocks ended Thursday mixed on fears that conflicts in Ukraine and in the Middle East may slow recovery, though investors shrugged off disappointing weekly jobless claims, viewing the data as glitch in an otherwise sustained U.S. recovery that won't alter monetary policy. U.S. stocks mixed on Fed outlook, Ukraine concerns; Dow slides 0.12% Stocks end mixed on Fed expectations, mounting Ukraine, Middle East concerns At the close of U.S. trading, the Dow 30 fell 0.12%, The Federal Reserve will conclude a two-day policy meeting next week, and markets expect the monetary authority to cut its monthly bond-buying program by $10 billion to $15 billion, with some hoping for language hinting at when interest rates may rise. A Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco report published on Monday suggested rate hikes may come sooner than markets may be expecting, though borrowing costs are still expected to remain low for some time to come and remain bullish for stocks.
