Stocks broke out of their rut on Wednesday, although investor sentiment remains on edge. The Dow added 59 points, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq also scored modest gains, as all three major indexes snapped three-day losing streaks. Meanwhile, Wall Street's fear gauge, the Cboe Volatility Index (VIX), logged its first loss in four sessions.

The highly anticipated Federal Reserve’s Jackson Hole symposium -- which has driven some of the volatility so far this week -- kicks off tomorrow. The meeting could provide clues as to the central bank's next plans, with Fed Chairman Jerome Powell to offer remarks on Friday morning. 

The Dow Jones Average (DJI - 32,969.23) added 59.6 points or 0.2% for the day. Salesforce (CRM) led the gainers, adding 2.3%. Dow (DOW) paced the laggards with a 2.5% drop.

The S&P 500 Index (SPX -4,140.77) rose 12 points, or 0.3% for the day. Meanwhile, the Nasdaq Composite (IXIC - 12,431.53) gained 50.2 points or 0.4% for the session.

Lastly, the Cboe Market Volatility Index (VIX - 22.82) shed 3.2 points or 15.5% for the day.

OIL PRICES GAIN ON IRAN NUCLEAR DEAL REPORTS

Oil prices edged higher on Wednesday to settle at their highest level in roughly three weeks. Boosting black gold were reports from Iran International and Al-Arabiya that the U.S. rejected all additional conditions Iran requested to the European Union's (EU) draft nuclear deal. October-dated crude added $1.15, or 1.2%, to close at $94.89 per barrel on the day.

Meanwhile, gold prices finished slightly above breakeven, as investors eyed the annual Jackson Hole Economic symposium. December-dated gold rose 30 cents, or 0.02%, to close at $1,761.50 an ounce.

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