NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stocks remained on a slippery slope on Wednesday as interest rates continued to hover around 16-year highs.

"The market is really trying to find some positive news bits to focus on but it's really tough," Carol Schleif, chief investment officer with the BMO Family Office told Reuters Wednesday.

"You have the backdrop still of higher rates overall. You have got oil approaching triple digits, you have got consumer sentiment that's a little softer. So there is just a compilation of stuff on the headwinds side of the balance sheet," Schleif said.

Industrial stocks slipped Wednesday although the S&P 500 finished flat. The tech sector however managed to eke out minor gains.

S&P 500 (^GSPC): The S&P 500 index closed at 4,274.51, registering an increase of 0.98 of a single point, equivalent to 0.02 percent.

Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI): The Dow Jones Industrial Average concluded at 33,550.27, showing a decrease of 68.61 points, or 0.20 percent.

NASDAQ Composite (^IXIC): The NASDAQ Composite index ended the day at 13,092.85, marking a gain of 29.24 points, approximately 0.22 percent.

Global Foreign Exchange Markets Report for Wednesday

On Wednesday, the world foreign exchange market witnessed consolidation by the U.S. dollar of its recent gains. Here are the latest quotes for major currency pairs:

Euro / US dollar (EURUSD): The euro to U.S. dollar exchange rate stood at 1.0510 in late U.S. trading Wednesday, marking a decrease of 0.58 percent, or a change of -0.0061.

US dollar / Japanese yen (USDJPY): The Japanese yen exchange rate was at 149.58, showing a decline of 0.36 percent, equivalent to a change of -0.53.

US dollar / Canadian dollar (USDCAD): The Canadian dollar exchange rate settled at 1.3503, indicating a firming of 0.10 percent, or +0.0013.

British pound / US dollar (GBPUSD): The British pound settled at 1.2143, down 0.12 percent, or a change of -0.0014.

US dollar / Swiss franc (USDCHF): The Swiss franc exchange rate concluded at 0.9203 Wednesday, experiencing a drop of 0.51 percent or -0.0046.

Australian dollar / US dollar (AUDUSD): The Australian dollar was unawanted at 0.6359, showing a decrease of 0.59 percent, or a change of -0.0037.

New Zealand dollar / US dollar (NZDUSD): The New Zealand dollar to US dollar exchange rate fell to 0.5924, marking a decrease of 0.34 percent.

Global Stock Markets See Buyers Get Modest Edge over Sellers

On Wednesday, global stock markets steadied after Tuesday's major losses, with many bourses finishing in the black, albeit modestly.

Here's a snapshot of the closing quotes for major indices across the globe:

CANADA

S&P/TSX Composite index (^GSPTSE): In Canada, the S&P/TSX Composite index settled at 19,435.98, experiencing a decline of 120.17 points, or 0.61 percent.

UNITED KINGDOM

FTSE 100 (^FTSE): The UK's FTSE 100 index closed at 7,593.22, marking a decrease of 32.50 points or 0.43 percent.

EUROPE

DAX PERFORMANCE-INDEX (^GDAXI): The German DAX index concluded at 15,217.45, experiencing a drop of 38.42 points, equivalent to 0.25 percent.

CAC 40 (^FCHI): France's CAC 40 index ended the day at 7,071.79, down 2.23 points or 0.03 percent.

ESTX 50 PR.EUR (^STOXX50E): The ESTX 50 PR.EUR index in Europe closed at 4,131.68 on Wednesday, indicating an increase of 2.50 points or 0.06 percent.

Euronext 100 Index (^N100): The Euronext 100 Index settled at 1,312.13, rising by 1.58 points, approximately 0.12 percent.

BEL 20 (^BFX): Belgium's BEL 20 index concluded at 3,520.52, down 19.29 points or 0.54 percent.

RUSSIA

MOEX Russia Index (IMOEX.ME): In Russia, the MOEX Russia Index closed at 2,222.51, marking a decrease of 4.14 points or 0.19 percent.

ASIA

Nikkei 225 (^N225): Japan's Nikkei 225 index closed at 32,371.90 Wednesday, gaining 56.85 points or 0.18 percent.

HANG SENG INDEX (^HSI): Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index finished at 17,611.87, indicating an increase of 144.97 points, equivalent to 0.83 percent.

SSE Composite Index (000001.SS): In China, the SSE Composite Index settled at 3,107.32, rising by 5.04 points, approximately 0.16 percent.

Shenzhen Index (399001.SZ): The Shenzhen Index in China ended the trading day at 10,104.32, showing an increase of 44.17 points, approximately 0.44 percent.

STI Index (^STI): Singapore's STI Index finished at 3,200.03 Wednesday, showing a decline of 15.04 points, approximately 0.47 percent.

S&P BSE SENSEX (^BSESN): India's S&P BSE SENSEX index closed at 66,118.69, gaining 173.22 points or 0.26 percent.

NIFTY 50 (^NSEI): India's NIFTY 50 index settled at 19,716.45, gaining 51.75 points or 0.26 percent.

IDX COMPOSITE (^JKSE): Indonesia's IDX COMPOSITE index ended the day at 6,937.83, marking an increase of 14.03 points or 0.20 percent.

FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (^KLSE): Malaysia's FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI concluded at 1,440.11 Wednesday , down 5.44 points, approximately 0.38 percent.

KOSPI Composite Index (^KS11): South Korea's KOSPI Composite Index settled at 2,465.07, gaining 2.10 points or 0.09 percent, with 366,241 shares traded.

TSEC weighted index (^TWII): Taiwan's TSEC weighted index concluded at 16,310.36, up 34.29 points or 0.21 percent.

OCEANIA

S&P/ASX 200 (^AXJO): Australia's S&P/ASX 200 index closed at 7,030.30, down 7.90 points, equivalent to 0.11 percent.

ALL ORDINARIES (^AORD): Australia's ALL ORDINARIES index concluded at 7,229.80 Wednesday, down 8.50 points, equivalent to 0.12 percent.

S&P/NZX 50 INDEX GROSS (^NZ50): New Zealand's S&P/NZX 50 INDEX GROSS closed at 11,316.81, showing a decrease of 26.06 points or 0.23 percent.

AFRICA

Top 40 USD Net TRI Index (^JN0U.JO): The Top 40 USD Net TRI Index concluded at 3,727.78, experiencing a decline of 51.63 points or 1.37 percent.

MIDDLE EAST

TA-125 (^TA125.TA): Israel's TA-125 index closed at 1,870.32 Wednesday, showing an increase of 8.63 points or 0.46 percent.

EGX 30 Price Return Index (^CASE30): Egypt's EGX 30 Price Return Index ended at 20,174.30, experiencing a decrease of 146.30 points or 0.72 percent, with 171.055 million shares traded.

(Photo credit: Big News Network news agency).