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Financial markets barely budged after the Federal Reserve said it would stick with its plan to keep a key short-term interest rate near zero. The Fed detailed no plans to extend its bond-buying program when the current iteration ends in June. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note increased slightly following the Fed's announcement. Gold prices fell and the dollar inched up against other currencies. Stock indexes stayed where they were. Some European markets posted strong gains. Benchmark stock indexes rose 3 percent in Italy and 2 percent in France. Germany's market gained 1.7 percent. British shares rose just 0.2 percent following news that the British economy fell back into recession for the first time since 2009. For Europe, Apple may not be an economic bellwether, but analysts said it's a valuable gauge of confidence in markets. Among other stocks making moves: Boeing rose 5 percent, the best performer among the 30 stocks that make up the Dow. Its first-quarter profit soared 58 percent. Airlines around the world are updating their fleets with more fuel-efficient planes. Harley-Davidson jumped 6 percent. U.S. sales of the company's motorcycles soared 26 percent in the first three months of the year, the fourth straight increase. The company credited the gain to a better U.S. economy and a restructuring program the company put in place four years ago. Lorillard fell 4 percent after the cigarette maker reported a 10 percent drop in income for the first quarter. The company said higher prices couldn't make up for a fall in sales of its Newport and Maverick cigarettes.
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