Data boosts world stock index to new high; US$ falls

In Europe on Wednesday, stocks scored consecutive daily gains for the first time in three weeks, drawing support from a weak euro. The FTSEuroFirst index of the leading 300 European shares <.FTEU3> closed up 0.3 percent, having earlier fallen as much as 0.4 percent, and Germany's DAX <.GDAXI> staged a similar rebound to trade up 0.5 percent before paring some gains. (Traders work at their desks in front of the German share price index, DAX board, at the stock exchange in Frankfurt, Germany, August 23, 2016. REUTERS)

MSCI's All-Country World index hit an intraday record of 444.94, although stocks on Wall Street dipped as the financial sector <.SPSY>, down 0.1 percent, snapped a five-session winning streak and energy stocks <.SPNY> slumped 1.4 percent.