US STOCKS-Solid October ends flat ahead of Fed, elections

* Investors looking ahead to Fed meeting, midterms * VIX rises as investors grow cautious * Microsoft rises after profit tops view * Dow up 0.04 pct, S&P off 0.04 pct, Nasdaq flat * For up-to-the-minute market news see [STXNEWS/US] (Updates to close, changes byline)