American equity markets rose modestly in Wednesday’s session as gains in the technology and basic materials sector helped to carry the market slightly higher on the day. The Dow gained 68 points while the S&P 500 rose by just 0.3% and the Nasdaq gained 0.5%, boosted in large part by solid performances out of the semiconductor sector. Financials were hit relatively hard as Bank of America led on the downside, losing 1.7% in the session as its request to increase its dividend was denied by the Federal Reserve. However, competitor Citigroup received the green light from the central bank. Commodity markets were more mixed on the day as the headline commodities of gold and oil posted gains on the day of 0.8% and 0.4%, respectively. But softs and grains were broadly lower, led by a 2.1% decline in sugar and a 2% slump in cotton. Copper, on the other hand, [...] Click here to read the original article on ETFdb.com. Related Posts: Daily ETF Roundup: GDX Drops 3.8%, DBA Jumps Beyond TIP: 10 ETFs To Protect Against Inflation IndexIQ Launches Global Agribusiness Small Cap ETF (CROP) Daily ETF Roundup: DBA Plummets On Commodity Weakness, VXX Surges On Nuclear Fears Global X Debuts Pure Gold Miners ETF (GGGG), Oil ETF (XOIL)