NEW YORK - US stocks finished mixed on Wednesday against the backdrop of upbeat earnings from major banks.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 17.15 points, or 0.04 percent, to 46,253.31. The S&P 500 gained 26.75 points, or 0.4 percent, to 6,671.06. The Nasdaq Composite Index rose 148.38 points, or 0.66 percent, to 22,670.08.

Seven of the 11 primary S&P 500 sectors advanced, with real estate and utilities leading the gainers, up 1.50 percent and 1.29 percent, respectively. Materials and industrials lagged, down 0.49 percent and 0.47 percent, respectively.

Lingering uncertainty from the U.S. federal government shutdown, now in its third week, has clouded investor sentiment. The closure has halted the release of key economic data from federal agencies, leaving traders without critical information.

Earlier in the session, equities received a boost from strong quarterly results from Bank of America and Morgan Stanley. Both lenders reported Q3 earnings that topped market expectations.

"It appears as if the banks have hit the ball out of the park, exceeding both earnings and revenue expectations," Chief Investment Strategist Sam Stovall at CFRA Research told CNBC. "That's an indication that the economy remains strong and, coupled with the likelihood that the Fed will cut rates again at the end of this month, (it) is bolstering investor optimism."