Wall St ends higher as bank contagion fears ease, Fed eyed

U.S. stocks rose after UBS agreed to buy Credit Suisse for $3.23 billion, and central banks boosted cash flow. Speculation of a pause in rate hikes by the Federal Reserve also contributed. The Cboe Volatility index fell, and all major S&P 500 sectors ended higher, except First Republic Bank, which saw a 47.1% decline in shares.