11:40 AM EDT, 10/08/2025 (MT Newswires) -- All three major US stock indexes were up in late-morning trading on Wednesday as investors awaited the release of the minutes from the Federal Reserve's most recent policy-setting meeting.

In company news, Confluent (CFLT) is considering a possible sale after attracting interest from tech companies and private equity firms, Reuters reported Tuesday, citing three people familiar with the matter.

A deal isn't guaranteed, and Confluent may decide to remain independent, according to the report. Confluent did not respond to MT Newswires' request for comment. The company's shares were up more than 10% in recent Wednesday trading.

TopBuild ( BLD ) shares rose nearly 8% after the company said it has acquired Specialty Products and Insulation for $1 billion in cash.

Apple ( AAPL ) and Meta Platforms ( META ) are nearing settlements with the European Commission to resolve antitrust cases and avoid escalating fines under the European Union's Digital Markets Act, the Financial Times reported Wednesday, citing officials briefed on the discussions.

No final decisions have been made, but officials expect an agreement could spare both companies from escalating daily fines of up to 5% of their average daily worldwide revenue, the report said. Apple ( AAPL ), Meta and the European Commission did not respond to MT Newswires' requests for comment.

Apple ( AAPL ) shares were up 0.5% while those of Meta rose 0.3%.

Tesla (TSLA) has abandoned its target to begin producing thousands of its Optimus humanoid robots by the end of this year, The Information reported Tuesday, citing people with direct knowledge of the program.

Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk has argued that the robots will eventually surpass electric vehicles as Tesla's main business, the report said. But "the Optimus program has been embroiled in technical problems," the tech news platform reported.

The company did not reply to MT Newswires' request for comment. Tesla shares were up 0.5% in recent Wednesday trading.

Nvidia ( NVDA ) is investing up to $2 billion in an ongoing funding round for Elon Musk's xAI artificial intelligence startup, Bloomberg reported Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter.

Nvidia ( NVDA ) declined to comment, while xAI didn't respond to MT Newswires' request for comment. Nvidia ( NVDA ) shares were up 1.7% in recent Wednesday trading.

Price: 22.90, Change: +2.17, Percent Change: +10.45