* MSCI world index up 0.3 percent at 252
* Oil rises to highest since October above $72
* US Treasury yields steady after 10-yr tests 4 percent
* Retail sales data 1230 GMT forecast to show pick-up
By Carolyn Cohn
LONDON, June 11 (Reuters) - Oil hit 8-month highs on Thursday as the International Energy Agency raised its estimate for 2009 oil demand, and 10-year Treasury yields eyed their highest since October on concern over the U.S. budget deficit.
World stocks edged up and the dollar eased ahead of an auction of 30-year U.S. Treasury bonds later.
The benchmark 10-year yield steadied after testing 4 percent late on Wednesday, the highest since Oct 16, after a $19 billion auction of 10-year notes.
The auction heightened concern about how expensive it will be for the U.S. government to finance its growing budget deficit.
"Yields did reach 4 percent and although they have eased a little, the trend is still very much in an upward direction," said Philip Shaw, chief economist at Investec, adding that "the rise in yields has been astonishing".
The 10-year yield rose 1.4 basis points on Thursday to 3.9597 percent.
The U.S. dollar dipped against the euro and yen ahead of the $11 billion auction of 30-year bonds.
The MSCI world equity index edged up 0.3 percent. The FTSEurofirst 300 index rose 0.6 percent.
Markets are watching U.S. May retail sales data at 1230 GMT, expected to rise for the first time in three months, helped by rising gasoline prices and an uptick in demand for cars and light trucks in response to aggressive discounting.
U.S. light crude for July delivery rose above $72 after the International Energy Agency raised its estimate for 2009 oil demand, adding to signs the fall in consumption may have bottomed out.
U.S. data showed a larger than expected drawdown of inventories and other data showed inflows of industrial metals to China rose to a new record in May and crude oil imports remained high.
Increased demand for commodities has boosted risk-taking and supported emerging markets.
Emerging sovereign debt spreads tightened by 5 basis points to 408 bps over U.S. Treasuries.
Investors are also looking at plans by Brazil, Russia and China to buy IMF bonds denominated in the IMF's special drawing rights (SDRs).
Russia said this week it would reduce the share of its reserves invested in U.S. Treasuries and buy IMF bonds.
"The concern over the scale of supply coming to the U.S. debt market has been exacerbated by the moves of some major central banks to diversify out of U.S. fixed income investments and into IMF bonds denominated in SDRs," said Derek Halpenny, European head of global currency research.
Follow-up discussions on new funding resources for the IMF are on the agenda of the G8 meeting in Italy this weekend.
Euro zone government bond futures fell 56 ticks, eyeing rising Treasury yields. An auction of nearly 9 billion euros of Italian debt went smoothly, analysts said.
(Additional reporting by Tamawa Desai and Kirsten Donovan in London)