US stocks closed slightly higher on Wednesday, amid a sharp rebound in oil prices, while the Dow snapped a seven-day slide. 
The Dow Jones industrial average closed 41.23 point higher, or 0.23%, at 18,355, with JPMorgan Chase leading advancers and Pfizer the greatest laggard. 
The S&P 500 rose 6.76 point, or 0.31%, to close at 2,163.79, with energy leading six sectors higher and utilities the top decliner. 
The Nasdaq composite gained 22 points, or 0.43%, to end at 5,159.74. 
Crude prices were broadly higher Wednesday, with US oil settling 3.3% higher at $40.83 a barrel. West Texas Intermediate futures settled below $40 for the first time since April on Tuesday. 
Gold futures for December delivery settled $7.90 lower at $1,364.70 per ounce. 
Overseas, Asian stocks traded mostly lower, with the Nikkei 225 falling 1.8% and the Shanghai composite gaining 0.24%. In Europe, stocks closed mixed.