Wall Street closes higher despite fears

(Close:) US stock markets ended Thursday higher despite investor caution ahead of next week's Federal Reserve decision on interest rates.

The Dow Jones rose 76.8 points to 16,330, while the S&P 500 rose 0.5% to close at 1,952 points.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq added 0.8% to 4,796 points.

Many economists had expected the central bank to raise rates in September, but recent market turmoil has led some to revise their opinion.

If rates do rise, it would be the first move since the financial crisis.

"Investors are in wait-and-see mode before the Fed meeting and nobody is going to take big bets before that," said Art Hogan, chief market strategist at Wunderlich Securities.

In corporate news, Apple shares rose 2.2% to $112.57, rebounding from losses on Wednesday when the iPhone and iPad maker unveiled new products.

sShares in Krispy Kreme Doughnuts tumbled almost 12% after the company cut its profit forecast for 2016.

pSportswear maker Lululemon plunged more than 16% after its results showed that profit margins were narrowing.

Avon Products fell 9.5% to $4.10, reversing earlier gains. The Wall Street Journal reported that the cosmetics company was in talks with private equity firms about selling a stake in the struggling company.