* Brent crude over $115/bbl on Libya, Mideast worries
* Market's "fear gauge" jumps 13 percent
* Bernanke says oil unlikely to derail economy
* Indexes down: Dow 1.4 pct, S&P 1.6 pct, Nasdaq 1.6 pct
* For up-to-the-minute market news see [STXNEWS/US] (Updates to close)
By Angela Moon
NEW YORK, March 1 (Reuters) - Concerns that rising oil prices could hurt economic recovery prompted investors on Tuesday to sell stocks and hedge against further declines.
The CBOE Volatility Index VIX <.VIX>, Wall Street's so-called fear gauge, jumped 13.1 percent to 20.75 on growing uncertainty about oil. The index measures the cost of using options as insurance against a decline in the S&P 500 <.SPX> index.
"We've been seeing how quickly the VIX can spike up, and there is no reason to believe that it won't double from where it is now," said Harry Rady, CEO of Rady Asset Management in San Diego, California.
Brent crude rose above $115 a barrel as supply disruptions persist and political violence spreads in the Middle East and North Africa. Higher oil translates into increased energy and gasoline costs for consumers. For details, see [ID:nL3E7E107L]
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said the recent surge in oil was unlikely to derail the economy, but his comments did little to reassure investors worried that turmoil in the Middle East could hit Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil exporter. [ID:nLDE720006] The Dow Jones Transports index <.DJT> fell 2.5 percent.
Stocks have taken their cue from oil since the start of turmoil in the Middle East and North Africa in January. The S&P had its weakest performance since November last week but still tallied three months of gains.
The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> fell 169.38 points, or 1.39 percent, at 12,056.96. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index dropped 21.04 points, or 1.59 percent, to 1,306.18. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> lost 44.86 points, or 1.61 percent, to 2,737.41.
About 8.67 billion shares traded on the New York Stock Exchange, NYSE Amex and Nasdaq, higher than last year's daily average of 8.47 billion. Volume has recently been solid on days when the market falls, but often comes under 7 billion on up days.
Investors took a cautious stance as cyclical sectors experienced the biggest losses, while defensive sectors such as utilities, healthcare and consumer staples limited losses.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc
Gasoline
"The real story is gasoline," said Nick Kalivas an analyst, at MF Global in Chicago. "The market is getting worried that you could see $4 gasoline in the U.S."
Financial stocks came under pressure after JPMorgan Chase &
Co
JP Morgan fell 2.3 percent to $45.60 while the KBW bank index <.BKX> fell 2.3 percent. (Reporting by Angela Moon, Editing by Kenneth Barry)