* Global stocks slide as U.S. housing data disappoint
* Dollar recovers from 14-month low vs euro
* Bond prices gain on weak housing, producer price data
* Crude oil retreats from more than $80 a barrel (Updates with U.S. markets, changes byline, dateline; previous LONDON)
By Herbert Lash
NEW YORK, Oct 20 (Reuters) - Global shares slid and oil retreated from a year-high above $80 a barrel on Tuesday after poor U.S. housing data and a drop in producer prices suggested an anemic economic recovery.
Weaker-than-expected September housing starts in the United States led euro zone and U.S government bond prices higher as investors expected the low-inflation environment to allow the Federal Reserve to hold interest rates at ultra-low levels. For details, see: [ID:nN20428124][ID:nLK453493]
Gold softened in Europe, falling below $1,060 an ounce, as the U.S. dollar rebounded from its weakest level in 14 months versus the euro, clipping its appeal as an alternative asset. [ID:nLK335899]
Options-related buying kept the dollar from pushing through $1.50 per euro and 90 yen [ID:nN20399822], while a reassessment of supply and demand, coupled with sliding U.S. stocks, tempered the rally in crude oil. [ID:nNSP209223]
In early afternoon trading, U.S. stocks extended losses, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq indexes falling 1 percent, as disappointing housing data and falling commodity prices hurt materials and energy shares.
MSCI's all-country world index <.MIWD00000PUS> slipped 0.7 percent.
"Everything that derails the view that the worst is behind us and that the economy will grow strongly in 2010 can hurt the market. Today we saw that the U.S. housing data was not that fantastic," said Philippe Gijsels, senior strategist at Fortis BNP in Brussels.
Shortly after 1 p.m., the Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> was down 72.93 points, or 0.72 percent, at 10,019.26. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> was off 8.79 points, or 0.80 percent, at 1,089.12. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> was 19.57 points lower, or 0.90 percent, at 2,156.75.
A sharp decline in Barclays
The FTSEurofirst 300 <.FTEU3> index of top European shares closed 0.5 percent lower at 1,021.29 points after hitting 1,031 -- a 12-month high for a fourth straight session.
Strong quarterly results from U.S. bellwether Caterpillar
Inc
But concern about U.S. currency weakness prompted the Bank of Canada to leave interest rates at record lows, driving the U.S. dollar nearly 2 percent higher against the Canadian dollar.
Tame U.S. inflation data offset strong quarterly earnings
from Apple
"If earnings continue to outperform, it's only a matter of time before we go higher," said Jacob Oubina, strategist at Forex.com in Bedminster, New Jersey, who said he expects the euro to clear the $1.50 barrier soon.
The dollar was up against a basket of major currencies, with the U.S. Dollar Index <.DXY> up 0.13 percent at 75.611.
The euro
Weakness in stocks bolstered the safe-haven appeal of government debt.
The benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury note
U.S. light sweet crude oil
Spot gold prices
Copper rose to its best level in over a year. [ID:nLK378980]
The benchmark MSCI index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan <.MIAPJ0000PUS> rose 0.9 percent to a fresh 14-month high, led by materials and financial sectors. Technology shares pushed Japan's Nikkei share average <.N225> up 0.9 percent. (Reporting Ryan Vlastelica, Steven C. Johnson, Chris Reese in New York; Ian Chua, Atul Prakash, Emma Farge and Jan Harvey in London; writing by Herbert Lash)
(Editing by Andrew Hay)