World shares, euro gain after recent losses

Financial markets stuck to their recent script on Tuesday, following a day of volatility with modest equities gains and a small lift for the euro.

Comments by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke that the U.S. economy should avoid a double dip recession and that he believed European leaders were committed to the euro's survival also lifted sentiment.

MSCI's all-country world stock index was up 0.2 percent and its emerging market counterpart index of top European shares was up 0.3 percent.

Japan's Nikkei average closed up 0.2 percent in choppy trade.

Investors are currently balancing negative sentiment engendered by the likes of the Greek debt crisis and positive sentiment from relatively good economic outlooks.

There are concerns that the global economy might lose its footing going forward, but recent data, including upbeat corporate earnings, runs counter to that, said Mitsuo Shimizu, deputy general manager at Cosmo Securities in Japan.

STEADIER EURO

The euro paused from its recent sell-off as the slight gains in global stock markets prompted investors to cover short positions created in the single currency.

It was up 0.4 percent at $1.1963, still around four-year lows.

Some people are trying to bottom fish at these levels, said John Hydeskov, senior currency analyst at Danske in Copenhagen, adding that some European banks and corporates had been picking up the single currency.

He added that short covering may push the euro up above $1.2010 again in the near term.

The dollar was generally lower, falling 0.2 percent against a basket of major currencies.

On fixed income markets, euro zone government bond yields were little changed.

(Additional reporting by Brian Gorman and Naomi Tajitsu; editing by John Stonestreet)