(Reuters) - U.S. stocks rose on Wednesday, bolstered by gains in healthcare shares after the collapse of the $160 billion merger of Pfizer and Allergan, and by a rise in energy shares.
Indexes slightly pared gains after the release of minutes from the most recent Federal Reserve meeting. They showed policymakers debated last month whether an interest rate hike would be needed in April, though a consensus emerged that risks from a global economic slowdown warranted a cautious approach."The minutes were a little more hawkish than the tone that we've heard from (Fed Chair Janet) Yellen post-FOMC meeting, but that was to be expected somewhat in my view," said Scott Smith, senior market analyst at Cambridge global Payments in Toronto.Investors have been grappling with mixed signals from Fed officials, including comments from Yellen last week that eased anxiety about potential interest rate hikes.The collapse of the Pfizer and Allergan merger bolstered the healthcare sector on hopes that the pharmaceutical giants could turn to smaller targets.Pfizer