03:45 PM EDT, 10/02/2024 (MT Newswires) -- US benchmark equity indexes were higher ahead of Wednesday's close as traders assessed the latest economic data and remarks by a Federal Reserve official.

The Nasdaq Composite was up 0.3% at 17,958.6, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 rose 0.1% each to 42,197.7 and 5,711.5, respectively. Among sectors, only technology and energy were in the green, while consumer discretionary and consumer staples saw the steepest declines.

Employment growth in the US private sector accelerated in September, while wage growth cooled, Automatic Data Processing ( ADP ) said.

Mortgage applications in the US declined last week as higher interest rates drove refinance activity lower, the Mortgage Bankers Association said.

The US 10-year yield rose 4.4 basis points to 3.79%, while the two-year rate gained 1.4 basis points to 3.64%.

West Texas Intermediate crude oil increased 1.1% to $70.57 a barrel.