* Portugal PM resigns as austerity measures rejected
* World stocks up for fifth session
* Miners lift European, U.S. shares
* Gold up on safety bet; U.S. oil at 2-1/2 year high (Recasts with Portugal's prime minister resigning, updates with U.S. markets' close and Nikkei futures)
By Rodrigo Campos
NEW YORK, March 23 (Reuters) - The euro sank on Wednesday as Portugal's prime minister resigned after his government's austerity measures were voted down in parliament, while gold climbed near its record high on safe-haven bets.
U.S. crude oil futures
Global stocks ticked higher for a fifth straight day, lifted by mining companies' shares as the prices of both precious and base metals climbed. Gold rose above $1,440 an ounce at one point and came within reach of its record high.
The MSCI All-Country World Index <.MIWD00000PUS>, which represents global equities, gained 0.1 percent. The index has added nearly 4 percent in the past five sessions.
On Wall Street, stocks gained as mining shares tracked metals prices higher, though volume was among the lowest so far this year.
Silver hit its highest price since 1980 and gold advanced as air strikes on Libya and renewed worries about the European debt crisis increased investors' interest in precious metals, deemed a good store of value in uncertain or volatile times.
U.S.-dollar denominated Nikkei futures
NO LONGER A SOCRATIC QUESTION
Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates submitted his resignation to the president on Wednesday after parliament earlier rejected his minority Socialist government's latest austerity measures in a vote. For details see [ID:nLIS002610].
"This raises the likelihood that Portugal will require a bailout, but the question is about how much the market has already factored this in," said Brian Dolan, chief strategist at Forex.com in Bedminster, New Jersey.
"I'd say it's been factored in to a significant degree, given the run-up we've seen in Portuguese yields and CDS."
The Portuguese benchmark 10-year bond yield rose to 7.83 percent on Wednesday from Tuesday's 7.68 percent. Many economists see borrowing costs above 7 percent as unsustainable and say Portugal will have to resort to the rescue mechanism.
An International Monetary Fund spokeswoman said earlier that Portugal has not requested an IMF-backed loan program, dismissing speculation Lisbon was in talks with the fund.
The euro hit a session low versus the U.S. dollar following Socrates' resignation, although the slide is seen as temporary, given the expectation for the European Central Bank to raise interest rates next month.
"Expectations of the ECB raising rates favor the euro over the U.S. dollar," said Thanos Papasavvas, head of currency management at Investec Asset Management, which manages over $10 billion in currency funds.
"We hold an overweight position in the euro and will be looking to buy on any dips," he added.
The euro
ON WALL ST, IT'S A MATERIAL WORLD
U.S. stocks rose in much lower-than-average volume. The materials sector index <.GSPM> was the S&P 500's top performer, rising 1.4 percent as metals prices climbed.
Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold
Coal mining shares, which have risen recently amid uncertainty over the future of nuclear power after the crisis in Japan, also climbed.
The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> rose 67.39 points, or 0.56 percent, to 12,086.02. The Standard & Poor's 500 <.SPX> added 3.77 points, or 0.29 percent, to 1,297.54. The Nasdaq Composite <.IXIC> gained 14.43 points, or 0.54 percent, to 2,698.30.
A plunge in sales of new U.S. single-family homes in February to the lowest level since 1963 tempered gains in U.S. stocks. The data from the U.S. Commerce Department suggested the housing market's troubles were deepening. [ID:nCAT005396]
Earlier, the FTSEurofirst 300 <.FTEU3> closed up nearly
0.5 percent at 1,112.36 as a rise in mining shares more than
offset weaker bank stocks.
For graphics, see:
Record U.S. gasoline drawdowns http://r.reuters.com/fys68r
U.S. trading volume slowdown
U.S. crude futures chart:
Sterling fell 0.8 percent to $1.6238
An index of Egyptian stocks <.EGX100> tumbled 9 percent in the first day of trading on the Cairo exchange since Jan. 27, after closing due to the political turmoil that ousted Hosni Mubarak last month.
BONDS FLAT, OIL AND GOLD JUMP
U.S. Treasuries were little changed as the possibility that
Japan might sell Treasuries to pay for repairing catastrophic
events offset a safe-haven bid due to turmoil in the Middle
East and North Africa. The benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury
note
U.S. crude oil futures for May delivery
"Yemen is a very hot topic now. It is not that important to the oil market but unrest in the region gives enough psychological support to prices," Andy Sommer, energy market analyst with EGL, said.
Spot gold
Silver
Copper