US benchmark equity indexes closed higher on Wednesday, after latest earnings reports and additional tariffs on imports from India.

The Nasdaq was up 1.2% to 21,169.42 while the S&P 500 increased 0.7% to 6,345.06. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.2% to 44,193.12. Among sectors, consumer discretionary led the gainers while healthcare rallied the decliners.

US Treasury yields were mixed, with the 10-year rate increasing 0.8 basis points to 4.23%, and the two-year rate dropping 2.9 basis points to 3.71%.

September West Texas Intermediate crude oil fell 1.7% to $64.05 a barrel on Wednesday.

US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order imposing an additional 25% tariff on imports from India in response to the Asian country's continued purchasing of sanctioned Russian oil, the White House said on Wednesday.

In response, India said that the decision by the US to double the tariffs on Indian imports to 50% was "unfair, unjustified, and unreasonable," news outlets reported.

In company news, Arista Networks (ANET) was the top gainer on the S&P 500, up 18%. The company late Tuesday issued an upbeat third-quarter revenue outlook following higher-than-projected second-quarter results.

Apple (AAPL) was the top performer on the Dow and among the best on the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq, up 5.1%. The iPhone maker will announce a new $100 billion investment commitment in the US later Wednesday, several media outlets reported, citing a White House official.

Super Micro Computer (SMCI) shares sank 18%, the worst S&P 500 performer. The artificial intelligence server maker late Tuesday reported fiscal fourth-quarter results that missed the Street's estimates.

Gold was almost unchanged at $3,433.60 per troy ounce, and silver was up 0.2% to $37.92 per troy ounce.