AllianceBernstein Holding (AB) added 1.6% after the brokerage Wednesday said it was working with a Allfunds subsidiary to link its asset-management services to the blockchain ecosystem and offering Allfunds Blockchain tools across AllianceBernstein's global platform domiciled in the EU. Financial stocks were higher shortly ahead of the conclusion of the latest Federal Open Markets Committee meeting and the panel's 2 pm ET announcement on interest rates and the central bank's efforts to tame inflationary pressures. The Philadelphia Housing Index was slipping 1.0% but the SPDR Real Estate Select Sector ETF (XLRE) was climbing 1.1%.