Shares set fresh records, lifted by US housing data

The three main indexes on Wall Street also hit intra-day and closing highs, while posting their biggest weekly gains since August.

NEW YORK: Key world equity indexes scaled new highs on Friday, boosted by a surge in U.S. housing starts to levels last seen in 2006, while the greenback rose to a one-week high against the euro on expectations of solid economic growth.

Optimism over corporate earnings and indications of resilience in China's economy also lifted equities and pushed government debt yields higher.