ISTANBUL: Major US stock exchanges opened mixed Wednesday before the conclusion of the Federal Reserve's two-day monetary policy meeting. The Dow Jones industrial average fell almost 53 points, or 0.13%, to 41,553 at 9.48 a.m. EDT (1348GMT). The SandP 500, on the other hand, was mostly unchanged at 5,634. The Nasdaq Composite, meanwhile, added nearly 12 points, or 0.07%, to 17,640. The Fed is expected to begin lowering interest rates at the conclusion of its meeting, but the magnitude remains in question. The probability of a rate cut of 25 basis points stood at 37% at the time, while a cut of 50 basis points was at 63%, according to the FedWatch Tool provided by the Chicago Mercantile Exchange Group. The VIX volatility index, referred to as the "fear index," rose 6.6% to 18.78. The 10-year US Treasury yield added 1.2% to 3.688%. The US dollar index decreased 0.15% to 100.74, while the euro rose 0.17% against the dollar, trading at $1.1133. Precious metals were mixed. Gold added 0.1% to $2,572 per oun ce, but silver fell 0.9% to $30.43. Oil prices decreased around 0.3%, with global benchmark Brent crude at $73.42 per barrel and US benchmark West Texas Intermediate at $69.73. Source: Anadolu Agency