Financials led the advance in the S&P 500, pushing Financial Select Sector SDPR ( XLF ) up as much as 0.9%. Gold and silver ETFs gained ground on Thursday, extending their sharp turnaround following the Fed's cautious stance on the pace of future rate hikes at its recently concluded March meeting. The central bank raised a benchmark rate for only the third time in a decade Wednesday, but some gold experts said the ensuing FOMC presser showed policymakers "as not being too hawkish on monetary policy, and possibly less aggressive on fighting inflation."