Wednesday's early trade: Wall Street flat

US stocks traded flat to slightly higher on Wednesday after the Federal Reserve acknowledged the sluggish pace of the US economic recovery, but provided no clues about any additional plans for stimulus measures. The Dow Jones Transportation average gained 0.9 percent.
The Dow Jones industrial average gained 4.88 points, or 0.04 percent, to 12,194.89. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index rose 1.37 points, or 0.11 percent, to 1,296.89. The Nasdaq Composite Index added 2.20 points, or 0.08 percent, to 2,689.46.