Wall Street stocks were in wait-and-see mode early Wednesday, awaiting a Federal Reserve decision and news on congressional stimulus talks following disappointing retail sales data. Retail sales fell 1.1 percent in November compared to October, a much sharper decline than expected and a worrisome sign for a key period in the annual holiday shopping season. On the positive side, analysts said the report could propel long-stalled talks on Capitol Hill on another relief package to help the economy recover from Covid-19. Reports said bipartisan leaders were closer to a deal. About 20 minutes into trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 0.1 percent at 30,179.15 The broad based S&P 500 was down slightly at 3,693.94, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index was up a hair at 12,598.63 The Fed is not expected to announce significant shifts in monetary policy when its two-day meeting concludes, but Chairman Jay Powell will update reporters on the central bank's forecasts in light of surging coronavirus cases and faster-than-expected vaccine approvals. jmb/cs