Wall Street opens flat ahead of Fed statement

Energy sector shares led gains on the S&P 500, tracking a 1% advance in crude oil futures prices

US stocks opened little changed on Wednesday, following a rally in the previous session, ahead of a statement from the U.S. Federal Reserve as it winds down its stimulus program.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 20.58 points, or 0.12 percent, to 17,026.33, the S&P 500 gained 0.25 points, or 0.01 percent, to 1,985.3 and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 14.57 points, or 0.32 percent, to 4,549.72.

Energy sector shares led gains on the S&P 500, tracking a 1 percent advance in crude oil futures prices. The Nasdaq was weighed by a 6.2 percent drop in Facebook shares.