The Federal Reserve decided to stand pat and leave interest rates where they are and leave its $1.75 trillion bond-purchase program alone, saying the pace of economic contraction is slowing and predicted inflation will remain “subdued for some time.”

The Federal Open Market Committee ended its two-day meeting in Washington where it kept the benchmark interest rate between zero and 0.25 percent.

Treasuries fell for the first time in four days, with yields on the 10-year note increasing six basis points, or 0.06 percentage point, to 3.69 percent.

Stocks were mixed. The S&P 500 rose 0.7 percent to 900.94. The Dow declined 23.05 points, or 0.3 percent, to 8,299.86, and the Nasdaq rose 27.42 to 1,792.34.