Wall Street maintained early gains on Wednesday despite data that showed the hard-hit housing market remained fragile as investors awaited a Federal Reserve statement later in the day.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> gained 56.23 points, or 0.68 percent, to 8,379.14. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> gained 8.51 points, or 0.95 percent, to 903.61. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> gained 26.16 points, or 1.48 percent, to 1,791.08.

(Reporting by Chuck Mikolajczak; editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)