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NEW YORK, Sep 21 (Reuters) U.S. stocks edged higher on Thursday, buoyed by strong earnings from economic bellwether FedEx Corp. and an interest-rate pause by the Federal Reserve that reassured investors about the outlook for profit growth.

The Dow Jones industrial average was up 6.49 points, or 0.06 percent, at 11,619.68. The Standard&Poor's 500 Index was up 1.57 points, or 0.12 percent, at 1,326.75. The Nasdaq Composite Index was up 4.13 points, or 0.18 percent, at 2,257.02.

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