A pan-European stock benchmark closed lower Tuesday after two days of gains, weighed down by earnings-driven drops for Swedish miner Boliden AB and hospitality chain Whitbread PLC. National equity gauges for Europe's biggest economies edged higher, as data showed a slowing in the eurozone economy ahead of a closely watched European Central Bank meeting later in the week.

U.S. stocks closed higher on Tuesday, with the Dow ending in record territory, supported by earnings results that continued to come in ahead of expectations. Both Caterpillar and 3M boosted the blue-chip average's advance, while broader gains were limited by declines in health-care shares.

Major indexes in Asia were narrowly mixed on Wednesday, following Wall Street's stronger lead, as investors also awaited the unveiling of China's new leadership line-up. The Nikkei 225 rose 0.17 percent as the dollar held onto overnight gains. The benchmark index is rising high after notching its 16th straight winning session on Tuesday - its longest ever win streak.