Trading remained light as investors took some time off during the holiday season and dealt with a blizzard that continued to make travel difficult in the New York area.
The blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 9.84 points, or 0.09 percent, to 11,585.4.
The broader Standard & Poor's 500 Index added 1.27 points, or 0.1 percent, to 1,259.78.
The technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index was up 4.05 points, or 0.15 percent, to 2,666.93.
The US currency fell against the euro to 75.62 euro cents from 76.23 euro cents on Tuesday. The dollar fell against the Japanese currency to 81.68 yen from 82.49 yen.
Friday will mark the final trading day of 2010, and all major indices are poised to end the year up more than 10 percent.