new York 10 17, 2012, 23:30 IST
Global stocks rose and the euro hit a one-month high on Wednesday, helped by brighter prospects for resolving Spain's debt woes, while better-than-expected housing data and gains among financials lifted the U.S. equity market.
U.S. and German government debt prices fell after Spain avoided a damaging ratings downgrade from Moody's and stronger-than-expected U.S. housing data pointed to an improving economy, which reduced safe-haven demand.
Growing speculation that Spain will ask for a bailout next month lifted the euro. A possible line of credit to Spain and some easing of German opposition to aid for Greece and Spain were also likely to support the euro in the near term.
Wall Street was mostly higher, putting the S&P 500 on track for a third day of gains, but disappointing results from Intel Corp
Intel slumped 3.0 percent to $21.68 while IBM lost 5.2 percent to $200.08. Both were among the biggest drags on the Dow and Nasdaq 100.
M&T Bank
"It seems like it's a classic earnings period reaction. Either people are too exuberant and expectations are raised too high to beat when the actual number comes out or people are too pessimistic and the earnings are just not as low," said Rick Meckler, president of hedge fund LibertyView Capital Management in Jersey City, New Jersey.
The Dow Jones industrial average was down 7.52 points, or 0.06 percent, at 13,544.26. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index was up 6.30 points, or 0.43 percent, at 1,461.22. The Nasdaq Composite Index was up 10.01 points, or 0.32 percent, at 3,111.19.
European shares rose for a third consecutive session after Spain clung to its top grade credit rating, bolstering expectations the euro debt crisis can be contained.
"Spain is in a better place for now," said Richard Robinson, a fund manager at Ashburton who recently bought shares of Spanish bank Bankinter
The FTSE Eurofirst 300 index of top European shares gained 0.5 percent to close at 1,118.62. MSCI's all-country world equity index rose 0.8 percent to 338.24, extending Tuesday's 1.2 percent gain.
The euro was up 0.55 percent at $1.3124, its highest since mid-September.
Bond losses accelerated after data showed that groundbreaking on new U.S. homes surged in September to its fastest pace in more than four years, another sign that the housing sector's budding recovery is gaining traction.
"The housing starts and permits are both up a ton. The market was already selling off, it started overnight with Moody's affirming Spain's investment grade rating," said James Newman, head of Treasuries and Agency trading at Keefe, Bruyette and Woods in New York.
Benchmark 10-year notes fell 19/32 in price to yield 1.79 percent.
Brent crude futures fell further and U.S. crude turned lower in choppy trading after a report from the Energy Information Administration showed U.S. crude oil stocks rose more than consensus expectations last week.
December Brent fell 92 cents to $113.08 a barrel. U.S. oil for November fell 21 cents to $92.88.
