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Concerns over the health of the global economy dampened the appetite for riskier assets on Wednesday with data showing the euro zone may be sliding back toward recession and signs the region's crisis may be hitting China's giant economy.
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Growing worries that Greece will struggle to meet the demands of its new bailout deal also added to the uncertain tone for shares and the euro, while the prospect of weaker demand in both Europe and Asia sent oil and metals markets lower.
"The (euro zone) economy remains stuck in low gear. It's indicative of a flatlining economy, maybe slightly contracting rather than a major slowdown," Peter Dixon, global equities economist at Commerzbank said.
U.S. stock index futures pointed to a weaker open on Wall Street while the numbers sent the broad FTSEurofirst index of top European companies .FTEU3 down 0.7 percent to 1,077.88 points and below a seven-month high hit at the start of the week.
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The softer economic data kept the euro under pressure against the dollar though, at $1.3250, it was down only about 0.15 percent and not far below its two-week high of $1.3293 hit on Tuesday after a second bailout deal for Greece was agreed.
The February reading on the flash euro zone services Purchasing Manager's Index (PMI) of 49.7 was below forecasts and under the 50 level that signifies contraction but followed three months of consecutive increases.
The reading along with signs of weakness in a similar index on German activity has clouded recent optimism about the resilience of Europe's economy to the region's debt crisis, although a separate survey showed France's manufacturing sector managed a marginal but unexpected return to growth in the month.
A rise in factory orders across the 17-nation euro area in December, led by an increase in new orders from Italian factories, tempered the worries, although overall industrial orders in the region were down 1.7 percent in December compared to a year ago.
"Although business conditions are showing signs of stabilizing so far this year, which represents a marked improvement on the widespread deepening gloom seen late last year, the euro zone is by no means out of the woods," said Chris Williamson, the chief economist of the data compiler Markit.
Growth worries also were also revealed in the minutes of a Bank of England policymaking committee meeting, where two members were revealed to have voted for an even bigger stimulus to the economy in February than the extra 50 billion pounds ($79 billion) that was ultimately agreed.
Sterling fell to a two-month low against the euro after the minutes were released at 84.40 pence, and beyond its previous 2012 low of 84.09 pence.
CHINA FEELS EURO ZONE EFFECT
An earlier preliminary and unofficial survey of China's industrial activity showed the manufacturing sector contracting for a fourth straight month, although the HSBC flash PMI rose in February to 49.7 from 48.8 in January.
