US stocks climb higher ahead of Fed minutes

Major US equity indices opened higher on Wednesday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) inching closer to the 20,000 milestone.

At the time of reporting, DJIA traded with gains of around 40-points to 19,925, while the broader S&P 500 Index was up 8-points to 2,266. Meanwhile, tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index added 25-points and rose to 5,455. 

Investors on Wednesday await for the release of minutes from the Federal Reserve's latest monetary policy meeting on December 13-14, when the central bank decided to raise rates for only the second time in nearly a decade and hinted towards three more hikes in 2017 as against two-hikes previously forecasted. 

With DJIA sitting closer to 20,000 handle, today's FOMC meeting minutes would provide fresh clues about the central bank's policy outlook and could well drive trading action on Wednesday, providing the required momentum to push through the psychological mark.