(Updates to U.S. market close, changes comment)
* S&P 500, Nasdaq Composite touch record highs
* Dollar hit by Trump's disclosure, economy concern
By Rodrigo Campos
NEW YORK, May 16 (Reuters) - The U.S. dollar index touched its lowest level since early November on Tuesday, hurt by weaker-than-expected U.S. housing data and as political turmoil in Washington raised anew concerns about the outlook for passing expected legislation.
A rally in the euro was reinforced by dollar losses, prompted by reports that U.S. President Donald Trump disclosed highly sensitive intelligence information to senior Russian officials at a meeting last week. disclosure adds to concern over the administration's chances of passing legislation, including tax reform, that has been priced in partly by financial markets. Major U.S. stock indexes remain at or near record highs, supported by the strongest earnings season for S&P 500 components since 2011.
The dollar fell even after U.S. manufacturing production recording its largest increase in more than three years. downtrend in the U.S. currency could extend further, according to Boris Schlossberg, managing director of FX strategy at BK Asset Management, given the potential for further political fallout relating to Trump's intelligence disclosure.
"It seems like progressively every single day it gets more and more beyond any sense of normal leadership and ultimately that kind of political volatility does translate into economic volatility," Schlossberg said.
The dollar index .DXY fell 0.73 percent, with the euro EUR= up 0.99 percent to $1.1082.
The dollar index had reached 14-year highs in early January on the view that Trump's plans for tax cuts and infrastructure spending would boost growth and inflation. It has now fallen four consecutive sessions, hitting six-month lows. Japanese yen strengthened 0.63 percent versus the greenback, at 113.08 per dollar, while sterling GBP= was last trading at $1.2916, up 0.18 percent.
On Wall Street, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite touched record highs but the S&P retreated to trade slightly negative. Technology stocks remain a key engine of gains for the Nasdaq and S&P, but traders are concerned about the feasibility of the Trump agenda of tax cuts and deregulation. a lot of political data but not a lot of economic data that's changing the landscape," said Paul Nolte, portfolio manager at Kingsview Asset Management in Chicago.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average .DJI fell 2.19 points, or 0.01 percent, to 20,979.75, the S&P 500 .SPX lost 1.65 points, or 0.07 percent, to 2,400.67 and the Nasdaq Composite .IXIC added 20.20 points, or 0.33 percent, to 6,169.87.
The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index .FTEU3 rose 0.08 percent and MSCI's gauge of stocks across the globe .MIWD00000PUS gained 0.27 percent. Emerging market stocks .MSCIEF rose 0.48 percent.
Oil prices extended losses after API data showed an unexpected build in U.S. crude inventories. crude CLc1 fell 1.27 percent to $48.23 per barrel, and Brent LCOc1 was last at $51.22, down 1.16 percent.
U.S. Treasury yields fell after the housing data added to recent soft economic news that has raised new doubts over how many times the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates this year. 10-year notes US10YT=RR last rose 4/32 in price to yield 2.3257 percent, from 2.338 percent late on Monday.
Spot gold XAU= added 0.5 percent to $1,236.71 an ounce. U.S. gold futures GCcv1 gained 0.56 percent to $1,236.90 an ounce.
Copper CMCU3 lost 0.04 percent to $5,610.85 a tonne.
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Global currencies vs. US dollar
http://tmsnrt.rs/2pynZYL Global assets in 2017
http://reut.rs/1WAiOSC
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