03:32 PM EDT, 07/31/2024 (MT Newswires) -- Financial stocks were mixed in late Wednesday afternoon trading, with the NYSE Financial Index adding 0.8% and the Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF) falling 0.3%

The Philadelphia Housing Index was up 0.5%, and the Real Estate Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLRE) fell 0.1%.

Bitcoin (BTC-USD) eased 0.1% to $66,079, and the yield for 10-year US Treasuries was dropping 3 basis points to 4.11%.

In economic news, the Federal Open Market Committee is getting closer to the point where it could cut rates, but it wasn't yet at that point this week, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell told a press conference Wednesday after the FOMC meeting. The FOMC held the federal funds rate steady at 5.25% to 5.50% on Wednesday.

ADP's monthly measure of private payrolls showed a 122,000 increase in July, below expectations compiled by Bloomberg for 150,000.

In corporate news, JPMorgan Chase ( JPM ) appointed Bank of America's ( BAC ) equity capital markets veteran Sumit Mukherjee as head of its equity capital markets intelligence, Bloomberg reported Wednesday. JPMorgan ( JPM ) shares shed 1.1% and Bank of America ( BAC ) was down 2.3%.