U.S. stocks closed higher Wednesday as investors digested the release of the Federal Reserve's (Fed) October meeting minutes. In international economic news, European and Asian equities closed mixed amid security concerns. The dollar traded nearly flat against major world currencies. Light sweet crude oil for December delivery added 8 cents to $40.75 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Gold futures increased 10 cents to $1,068.70 an ounce. The Dow Jones industrial average gained 215, or 1.24 percent, to 17,706. The broader Standard & Poor's 500 index climbed 29, or 1.42 percent, to 2,079. The technology-heavy Nasdaq composite index rose 78, or 1.58 percent, to 5,065.
