Investors were taken aback by notes released Thursday from the December Federal Reserve policy meeting in which members showed reluctance to further boost the central bank's $2.9 trillion balance sheet. "Several (officials) thought that it would probably be appropriate to slow or to stop purchases [of assets] well before the end of 2013, citing concerns about financial stability or the size of the balance sheet," according to the minutes. Markets pulled back from the strong gains attributed to the "fiscal cliff" resolution after the news.