European stocks finished in the red Wednesday, as a round of corporate financial updates failed to lift an investing mood dimmed by losses on U.S. stock markets. A disappointing sales report from fashion house Burberry Group PLC and a warning of layoffs at Swedish construction company Skanska AB dragged on shares of those companies.

The Dow industrials on Wednesday staged a late rally to end above 26,000 for the first time ever, knocking out another round-number milestone at a history-setting pace for blue chips, with all the main equity indexes finishing at all-time highs. An upbeat gauge of conditions at the Federal Reserve's business districts contributed to the buying sentiment.

Asia-Pacific stocks were higher Thursday, aided by strength in Chinese banks and regional tech companies, after equities hit fresh record highs on Wall Street overnight. Hong Kong stocks HSI, +0.12% were 0.4% higher and benchmarks on the mainland logged similar gains. Bank stocks in China rose after data showed housing prices rose last month in 57 of 70 cities measured by the National Bureau of Statistics.