* Stocks rise on strong U.S. data, earnings
* U.S. economic data boosts U.S. dollar
* Risk appetite revival pressures bonds
(Updates prices, quotes, details)
By Manuela Badawy
NEW YORK, Feb 17 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks were higher and the U.S. dollar appreciated against major currencies on Wednesday helped by better U.S. economic data, though concern lingered about fiscal problems in Europe.
Stocks also gained worldwide on rekindled investor risk appetite which had taken a hit from concerns about the swollen debt of Greece and other euro zone countries.
U.S. bonds fell as investors bought riskier assets such as stocks which tend to perform better during times of economic growth. Commodity prices continued their rally though at a slower pace, as strength in the U.S. currency tends to pressure dollar-denominated commodities.
The U.S. Commerce Department reported on Wednesday that housing starts hit their highest in six months while Federal Reserve data showed industrial output rose a solid 0.9 percent in January, suggesting an economic recovery was taking a firm hold as the year began.
The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> was up 29.78 points, or 0.29 percent, at 10,298.59. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> was up 2.79 points, or 0.25 percent, at 1,097.66. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> was up 4.07 points, or 0.18 percent, at 2,218.26.
U.S. stocks were also boosted by strong results from farm
equipment maker Deere & Co
"Today you're getting some good earnings numbers and not bad numbers on the economy, and that's the cyclical uptick in the economy, but momentum is fading," said Jim Awad, managing director at Zephyr Management in New York.
"Nothing has changed in Greece or any of the other (affected) countries," he said. Uncertainty about the future for debt-burdened Greece has hit the euro in recent weeks.
MSCI world equity index <.MIWD00000PUS> rose 0.77 percent,
while the pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 <.FTEU3> index of top
European shares hit a two-week closing high of 1.2 percent,
boosted by financials after BNP Paribas
In currencies, the U.S. dollar was up against major
currencies, with the ICE Futures Exchanges dollar index <.DXY>
up 0.71 percent at 80.265. The euro
The housing and building permit data "is a sign of future construction and (shows) a stabilizing housing market. The dollar is trading on that data right now and I think investors' sentiment will shift to focus on the FOMC meeting minutes to be released later today," said John Doyle, currency strategist at Tempus Consulting in Washington.
The Federal Reserve will release minutes from the Jan. 26-27 Federal Open Market Committee policy meeting later in the day.
The U.S. housing market, which is at the core of the most painful economic downturn since the Great Depression, is crawling out of a three-year slump, supported by government programs. New home construction contributed to economic growth in the third quarter of 2009 for the first time since 2005. For more see [ID:nN17114831].
Groundbreaking for new homes increased 2.8 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 591,000 units while new building permits, which give a sense of future construction, fell 4.9 percent to 621,000 units last month after rising to a 14-month high of 653,000 in December, the Commerce Department said. That compared to analysts' forecasts for 620,000 units.
U.S. bonds were left out of favor, with the benchmark
10-year U.S. Treasury note
In Europe, debt markets took a breather from the crisis over debt-stricken Greece after Spain drew a stampede of demand for a government bond issue and Portugal's borrowing costs fell in signs that market fears of sovereign risk in the euro zone may be easing, at least for now. [ID:nLDE61G0OS]
In Asia, Japan's Nikkei average surged 2.7 percent on Wednesday, chalking up its biggest daily rise in over two months, as investors snapped up Mitsubishi Corp <8058.T> and other resource-related stocks after a jump in commodities prices. (Additional reporting by Caroline Valetkevitch and Wanfeng Zhou in New York)