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GLOBAL MARKETS-US stocks fall on Fed tightening fears, dollar up

Published 09/23/2009, 05:07 PM
Updated 09/23/2009, 05:09 PM

* Global stocks slip as U.S. equities fall on Fed unease

* US dollar index higher but is still near 1-year low

* Oil drops 4.0 percent on surprise U.S. inventory build

* US bonds fall after 5-year Treasury sale but end higher (Updates with close of U.S. markets)

By Herbert Lash

NEW YORK, Sept 23 (Reuters) - The U.S. dollar rose, after falling to a fresh 12 month low, and global stocks slipped on fears the Federal Reserve may rein in its far-reaching efforts to shore up a still weak U.S. economy earlier than expected.

Oil dropped nearly 4.0 percent to below $69 a barrel after U.S. government data showed a big jump in crude and products stockpiles, stirring concerns about demand in the world's top energy consumer. [ID:nSP519601]

The U.S. central bank, as widely expected, held overnight lending rates at close to zero percent, and Fed policy-makers reiterated their commitment to keep interest rates low for an "extended" period.

But the Fed also said it would slow purchases of mortgage debt to extend that program's life until the end of March, in a step toward a measured withdrawal of its extraordinary support for the economy during the worst U.S. downturn in 70 years.

Investors in U.S. equities took the news poorly, despite the Fed's ascertion that conditions in financial markets have improved and activity in the housing sector has increased.

Dan Faretta, senior market strategist at Lind-Waldock, a retail brokerage in Chicago, said it's not a good time to start winding down the Fed's program known as quantitative easing for an economy that is still under the weather.

"I think maybe six months down the road it could be something they could look at. There's still a lot of problems with mortgages, the housing market in general as well as the banking sector," Dan Faretta, senior market strategist at Lind-Waldock, a retail brokerage in Chicago.

Reaction to the Fed statement turned the choppy U.S. equity market lower.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> closed down 81.32 points, or 0.83 percent, at 9,748.55. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> was down 10.79 points, or 1.01 percent, at 1,060.87. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> was down 14.88 points, or 0.69 percent, at 2,131.42.

MSCI's all-country world index <.MIWD00000PUS> also reversed course, falling 0.6 percent after earlier climbing to a fresh almost 12-month high.

U.S. Treasury debt prices recovered smartly after Fed policy-makers reiterated their commitment to keep interest rates low for an "extended" period.

The benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury note rose 8/32 in price to yield 3.42 percent.

"People were looking for something a bit more hawkish," said William O'Donnell, head of U.S. Treasury strategy at RBS Securities.

U.S. crude fell $2.79 to settle at $68.97 a barrel, while London Brent crude fell $2.54 to settle at $67.99 a barrel.

The U.S. dollar fell to a one-year low against the euro and dropped against the yen as the Fed's statement suggested a recovering U.S. economy would ease its role as a safe-haven. But the reversal in stocks later sent the dollar higher.

"Most people were expecting the Fed to upgrade its assessment of the economy and they did that. The subsequent attempt to extend the rally in (stocks) stalled and now we saw the reversal," said Brian Dolan, chief currency strategist at Forex.com in Bedminster, New Jersey.

The euro rose as high as $1.4842 , according to Reuters data, its highest level since September 2008. It last traded down 0.39 percent at at $1.4729.

Against the yen, the dollar was up to trade 0.22 percent at 91.33 yen .

The dollar index <.DXY>, which measures the dollar's value against a basket of six other major currencies, was up 0.35 percent at 76.387, after falling to its lowest since Aug. 11, 2008.

Earlier, shares in Europe closed slightly higher but energy stocks took the most points off the pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 <.FTEU3> index of top regional shares.

The FTSEurofirst 300 closed up 0.2 percent at 1,006.09 points.

The MSCI benchmark of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan <.MIAPJ0000PUS> was up 0.2 percent and reached a 13-month high. (Reporting by Ryan Vlastelica, Steven C. Johnson and Chris Reese in New York and Joe Brock, Joanne Frearson and Ian Chua in London; Writing by Herbert Lash; Editing by James Dalgleish)

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