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GLOBAL MARKETS-Stocks dip on euro zone concerns; dollar up

Published 11/05/2010, 07:53 AM
Updated 11/05/2010, 07:56 AM
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* World stocks end 6th day winning run before U.S. jobs data

* Euro zone peripherals' borrowing costs up on Ireland

* Dollar recovers from an 11-month low

* European banks struggle

By Dominic Lau

LONDON, Nov 5 (Reuters) - World stocks on Friday pulled back from a two-year high reached after the Fed's stimulus package, with investors cautious ahead of U.S. jobs data and on concerns over Ireland's budget, while the dollar recovered from an 11-month low.

Borrowing costs in euro zone's weaker economies rose sharply after some traders said Ireland's budget to cut spending and raise tax totalling 6 billion euros next year was "unrealistic".

Irish stocks also fell sharply, with the country's benchmark down 1.8 percent and Bank of Ireland shares falling more than 11 percent.

"This is concerning, the spread of contagion to Spain and Italy given their structural significance in the euro zone and potential for broader financial shock," said Lena Komileva, head of G7 market economics at Tullet Prebon.

Banks were the top stocks losers in Europe, down 1.1 percent, while Wall Street looked set for a softer opening.

Spanish and Italian bond spreads over equivalent 10-year German Bunds were around five basis points wider, while the Irish/German 10-year yield spread hit a new high at 553 bps.

The cost of protection against Irish credit default rose 28 bps to 610 bps to a record high.

The Thomson Reuters Peripheral Eurozone Countries Index fell 2.5 percent, while the Spanish share benchmark lost 2 percent.

Event risk remains high for the periphery with the Greek Prime Minister threatening to call early general elections if disgruntled voters do not back his austerity plans in local elections this weekend and with Portugal planning to issue up to 1.5 billion euros of bonds next week.

The Federal Reserve's decision on Wednesday to spend $600 billion buying longer-term Treasury bonds to reflate the flagging economy has helped boost risk appetite, with investors piling into emerging market assets and commodities in search of higher returns. The dollar, on the other, has suffered.

Investor focus now turns to the U.S. monthly jobs data, due at 1230 GMT, and traders said any upside surprise from the numbers is likely to offer only a fleeting respite to the greenback. A weaker number could see the dollar-selling trend gather pace. "The Fed has made it clear that quantitative easing will remain in place and there is enough slackness in the U.S. economy. So any strong number is unlikely to offer much support to the dollar," said Ian Stannard, senior currency strategist at BNP Paribas.

Economists polled by Reuters expect 60,000 jobs were created last month after 95,000 were lost in September, with jobless rate seen static at 9.6 percent month-on-month.

DOLLAR RECOVERS, EQUITIES DOWN

The dollar rose 0.7 percent against a basket of major currencies, having hit an 11-month low on Thursday.

The euro was down 0.7 percent at $1.4095, while the Australian dollar was down 0.5 percent after having risen to a 28-year high earlier in the session.

World equities measured by MSCI All-Country World Index dipped 0.1 percent, ending a six-day winning streak. The index has risen 9 percent this year, though it remains cheap with its one-year forwards price-to-earnings at 12.2 times versus a 10-year average of 15, Thomson Reuters Datastream showed.

Emerging market shares rose 0.3 percent, and have outpaced the world index with a 16.7-percent gain for the year.

U.S. stock index futures eased 0.3 to 0.4 percent, indicating a weaker start on Wall Street.

Europe's FTSEurofirst 300 index slipped 0.3 percent, while Tokyo's Nikkei average jumped 2.9 percent and booked its best week in a year.

Oil prices broke a fourth-day winning run, down 0.3 percent, while gold eased 0.9 percent.

Yields on benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasuries were flat at 2.4907 percent, while those on 10-year German Bunds fell 2 basis points at 2.374 percent. (Additional reporting by Kirsten Donovan, Emelia Sithole-Matarise and Anirban Nag in London; Editing by Toby Chopra)

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