The Globe and Mail reports in its Thursday edition that U.S. and Canadian stock indexes advanced on Wednesday after policy decisions by the Federal Reserve and Bank of Canada, as investors awaited key megacap earnings results. A Reuters dispatch to The Globe says the U.S. Federal Reserve left its key policy rate unchanged, as widely expected, leaving investors betting on a rate hike at its next monetary policy meeting in December. The Bank of Canada raised its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points to 2.5 per cent, its first hike in more than three years, and said further increases might be needed to prevent soaring energy costs from fuelling broader inflation. In its accompanying statement, the Fed upgraded its assessment of the U.S. economy while acknowledging inflation "remains elevated." At the news conference after the release, Fed Chair Kevin Warsh said the central bank has made clear its willingness and readiness to act. The S&P 500 was flat at 7,743.97. In Toronto, energy and technology shares notched gains, offsetting declines for the interest-rate-sensitive real-estate sector. The S&P/TSX Composite Index ended up 93.6 points at 36,265.09. Bond markets in Canada and the U.S. were relatively stable.