Stocks rose again on Thursday despite mixed global economic data.
The S&P 500 edged up 0.1 percent to close at another record high. The STOXX Europe 600 gained 0.4 percent.
Stocks rose despite the International Monetary Fund cutting its 2014 global growth forecast to 3.4 percent on Thursday from 3.6 percent in April.
Also, in the US, data on Thursday showed that new home sales fell 8.1 percent in June while the preliminary Markit manufacturing PMI for July showed a fall to 56.3 from 57.3 in June.
In Japan, a report on Thursday showed that the trade deficit ballooned to a record 7.60 trillion yen in the first half of the year. Exports fell 2.0 percent in June while imports rose 8.4 percent.
Japanese manufacturing also cooled in July, the flash Markit/JMMA manufacturing PMI showing a fall to 50.8 in July from 51.5 in June.
However, the eurozone economy showed signs of strengthening on Thursday. Markit's composite PMI for the region rose to 54.0 in July from 52.8 in June. The manufacturing PMI rose to 51.9 in July from 51.8 in June while the services PMI jumped to 54.4 from 52.8.
Also, in China, a report on Thursday showed that HSBC's preliminary manufacturing PMI for July showed a rise to 52.0 from 50.7 in June.
Meanwhile, a report on Thursday showed that UK retail sales rose just 0.1 percent in June. Nevertheless, that still left retail sales up 1.6 percent in the second quarter compared with the previous quarter, the fastest pace of growth for a calendar quarter in ten years.
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