There was more bad news from Europe overnight, with data showing the German economy contracted in the last quarter.

Equities in Europe and on Wall Street advanced overnight and so did commodities, as data showed China's import growth last month eased to the lowest level in two years.

Investors are becoming so averse to risk that for the first time they have paid more for German securities than they will get on maturity.

Worries over the fate of the euro and the EU's member states continue to drag on the single currency and equities in Europe and on Wall Street.

The euro has fallen to an 11-month low versus the US dollar and global equities are extending losses on Wall St.

Equities on both sides of the Atlantic dropped overnight on disappointment the European Central Bank won't be boosting its bond purchases to help ease the euro zone's fiscal crisis.

Stocks on both sides of the Atlantic dropped, as did the euro, after investors demanded the highest yield since 1997 to buy Italian debt and Spanish bonds hit the radar.

Wall St advanced overnight as investors focused on some positive news from the home front, including better-than-expected jobless claims data and Cisco Systems earnings.

Markets fell overnight on both sides of the Atlantic as Italy's borrowing costs soared, intensifying concern that efforts to contain the European Union's debt crisis aren't working.

Equities on both sides of the Atlantic have started the week in the red as Greece agreed to form a new government and Italy's Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi denied reports he planned to resign.

Stocks on Wall St and in Europe rose after an unexpected interest rate cut by the European Central Bank and the vote backdown from the Greek PM.