Stocks are a mixed bag midday, with all eyes on the Federal Reserve meeting about to conclude. Ahead of remarks from Fed Chair Jerome Powell, investors are eager for clues regarding the timeline of scaling back the bond-buying program, as well as when interest rate hikes could occur.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) and S&P 500 Index (SPX) were last seen in the red, while the Nasdaq Composite (IXIC) and small-cap Russell 2000 Index (RUT) earlier hit intraday record highs and are clinging to midday gains. Elsewhere, ADP private payrolls increased by a wider-than-expected margin in October, the best month since June.

American Airlines Group Inc (Nasdaq: AAL) is seeing a surge in options activity today. At last check, over 120,000 calls have changed hands, volume that's triple the average intraday amount. The airline stock was last seen up 3.8% to trade at $20.58, brushing off yesterday's mass cancellations. 

Near the top of the Nasdaq, today is Beyond Meat Inc (Nasdaq: BYND), up 7.8% to trade at $106.96, at last check. The popular vegan brand is climbing as McDonald's (MCD) rolls out the McPlant burger, which features Beyond Meat patties. BYND is down 15% in 2021, and today's breakout is facing off with the stock's descending 40-day moving average.

Deere & Company (NYSE: DE) is near the bottom of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) today, last seen down 5.3% to trade at $336.58. The drop comes as factory workers continue a three-week-long strike amid a contract dispute between Deere and the United Auto Workers (UAW) union. DE remains up 25% in 2021.