The Globe and Mail reports in its Wednesday edition that North American stock indexes closed higher on Tuesday after dovish comments from U.S. Federal Reserve officials pushed Treasury yields lower while investors cautiously monitored developments in the Middle East. A Reuters dispatch to The Globe says that after comments from top Fed officials on Monday, Atlanta Fed president Raphael Bostic said on Tuesday the U.S. central bank does not need to raise interest rates any further, and that he sees no recession ahead. The U.S. 10-year Treasury yield came off its 16-year peak on Tuesday as trading resumed in the bond market, which had been closed for a holiday on Monday. "Everybody has one eye on the Middle East conflict and one eye on what's happening with bond yields. The decline in bond yields is the key driver today," said John Praveen at Paleo Leon. While the Fed's dovish comments were helping stocks and investors were being sanguine about the Middle East, Mr. Praveen said that view could change, if for example, the fighting spread to other countries in the region. The S&P/TSX Composite Index closed at 19,501.20, up 255.13 points. Brent crude surged more than $3.50 (U.S.) on Monday, but eased on Tuesday.