* World stocks erase loss
* Bernanke offers no new measures to boost growth
* Oil edges up, bonds pare gain (Updates prices, adds details, quote)
By Caroline Valetkevitch
NEW YORK, Aug 26 (Reuters) - World stocks and oil turned up slightly on Friday on the growing belief that even though Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke did not offer new measures to boost the economy, he left the door open for future stimulus.
Speaking at the Fed's annual retreat in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Bernanke said it was critical for the economy's health to reduce long-term joblessness but did not offer new measures to help growth. For details, see [ID:nLDE77P0JC] http://r.reuters.com/qyt43s
U.S. stocks erased a 2 percent fall and Treasuries, whose yields are trading at near-historic lows, came off session highs as Bernanke said the central bank's policy panel would meet for two days in September instead of one to discuss additional monetary stimulus.
"I think the door is open for them to do a lot more, but there's nothing in the speech that shows he will take immediate action," said Scott Brown, chief economist at Raymond James in St. Petersburg, Florida.
The speech follows several turbulent weeks for markets, with investors facing concerns about another U.S. recession and escalating euro zone debt troubles, as well as a downgrade of the U.S.'s top-tier credit rating.
World stocks as measured by MSCI world equity index
<.MIWD00000PUS> were up 0.1 percent, while the Standard &
Poor's 500 index <.SPX> was up 0.8 percent. Both had extended
losses directly after the speech, along with oil. Brent crude
Bernanke's speech last year laid the groundwork for the Fed's $600 billion bond-buying program to revive the economy under the rubric "QE2" for the Fed's second round of stimulus, or quantitative easing.
Benchmark 10-year Treasury notes
The dollar gained on the euro after the speech but later
shed those gains, with the euro
An increase of money supply, such as the QE2 program, tends to erode the value of the dollar relative to other currencies.
On Wall Street, the Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> was up 39.20 points, or 0.35 percent, at 11,189.02. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> was up 6.18 points, or 0.53 percent, at 1,165.45. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> was up 33.24 points, or 1.37 percent, at 2,452.87.
Wall Street scrambled to raise cash in case Hurricane Irene causes major disruption in trading for thousands of traders who live in the New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.
The repurchase market, a major source of cash for Wall Street to fund trades and operations, showed an increase in interest rates on loans that mature on Monday, a sign markets are worried there could be disruptions - however temporary - as a result of the hurricane. Interest rates on loans backed by Treasury bonds that expire on Monday rose by several hundredths of a percentage point from late Thursday to about 0.08 percent in the $1.6 trillion repurchase market. (Additional reporting by Ashley Lau; Editing by Dan Grebler)