Trading Day: Wall St rally fades as European shares close at record high; crude surges on supply worries

NEW YORK, Feb 18 : U.S. stocks chased their European counterparts higher on Wednesday, but lost some momentum as the session progressed, while ongoing geopolitical strife helped prompt a rebound in crude and gold prices.

Reports that European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde would leave her post early, and the minutes from the Federal Reserve’s most recent policy meeting kept central banks on center stage.

(By Stephen Culp; Editing by Deepa Babington)