Global Stocks

European stocks finished higher Tuesday, with strong eurozone economic indicators and advances in the mining and financial sectors pushing the market to a second day of gains.

The Stoxx Europe 600 SXXP, +0.93% picked up 0.9% to close at 343.60, marking its biggest percentage gain since Aug. 5.

U.K. stocks pushed higher Tuesday and posted their biggest gain in nearly two weeks, with mining sector heavyweight BHP Billiton PLC and supermarket chain Tesco PLC among the shares moving firmly higher.

The FTSE 100 UKX, +0.59% rose 0.6% to close at 6,868.51, marking its best day since Aug. 11.

U.S. stocks closed in positive territory on Tuesday, but off the best levels of the session, after upbeat data on U.S. new-home sales and a stronger-than-expected gauge of European private-sector activity.

The Nasdaq Composite briefly hit an all-time intraday high, while the S&P 500 flirted with its own intraday record. Both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq had traded at levels that would have given them new closing highs Tuesday, but fell short by the close.

Asian stocks consolidated recent gains on Wednesday, helped by Wall Street's rise overnight, even as oil prices slid after a surprise build in U.S. crude stocks.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan .MIAPJ0000PUS eased 0.3 percent in early trade. It has risen more than 14 percent since late June to hit a 1-year high last week.

Japan's Nikkei .N225 rose 0.4 percent.

Elsewhere in the region, Hong Kong .HSI slid as investors sold financials, while mainland China markets .SSEC inched higher.