U.S. stocks stayed little changed on Wednesday after a statement from Federal Reserve policymakers indicated the central bank is in no hurry to scale back its extensive support for the U.S. economy.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> was up 36.48 points, or 0.29 percent, at 12,631.85. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> was up just 0.82 of a point, or 0.06 percent, at 1,347.99. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> was up 4.28 points, or 0.15 percent, at 2,851.82.

(Reporting by Caroline Valetkevitch; Editing by Jan Paschal)