Global Stocks

European stocks advanced Wednesday as food wholesaler Booker Group PLC helped to offset a slump in miners, which were pinched by a strengthening dollar. Booker Group BOK, +6.06% shares jumped 6.1% after Goldman Sachs raised its rating on the food wholesaler to buy. Booker, the Stoxx 600's biggest winner on Wednesday, will release financial results on Thursday.

U.S. stocks finished little-changed late Wednesday following a bumpy session after minutes from the Federal Reserve's most recent meeting indicated that "most" of its members are ready to lift rates as early as June. The minutes of the April 26-27 Federal Open Market Committee meeting appeared to echo concerns articulated in recent speeches from Fed officials, namely that the market is too complacent about the U.S. central bank's intentions to normalize interest-rate policy sooner rather than later.

Asian stocks fell after minutes of the Federal Reserve's April meeting showed policy makers discussed raising interest rates as early as next month. Commodity shares led the retreat. The Fed's statement indicated most policy makers said a rate hike would be appropriate in June if the economy continued to improve.

Based on MarketWatch materials