* Weak U.S. consumer confidence, housing sinks stocks
* German business confidence drops unexpectedly
* Flight-to-safety pushes U.S. dollar higher
* Commodity prices slip on stronger greenback (Updates with comment, market prices, new headline)
By Daniel Bases
NEW YORK, Feb 23 (Reuters) - Shares fell across the globe on Tuesday as falling U.S. consumer confidence and house prices suggested the economy was still fragile, while German business confidence fell unexpectedly for the first time in almost a year.
The yen rose against the dollar, while the dollar gained against the euro as investors sought safety. The dollar's strength dragged down commodities, pulling crude oil prices from six-week highs to below $80 a barrel and left spot gold prices weaker, hovering just above $1,100 an ounce.
Prices of U.S. Treasuries, a traditional safe-haven, shot up as investors who had been preparing for declining prices ahead of this week's Treasury auctions scrambled to cover their positions.
MSCI's All Country World stock index <.MIWD00000PUS> fell 0.96 percent from an earlier three-week high.
In the United States, consumer confidence slumped in February to a 10-month low on concerns about business conditions and the weak job market.
"Investors will probably conclude from this that the economy is likely to weaken as the year progresses," said Carmine Grigoli, chief U.S. investment strategist at the equities division of Mizuho Securities USA in New York.
"You need better consumer confidence and employment gains to really build a sustainable economic recovery and that's not in the cards in the near term."
The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> fell 88.95 points, or 0.86 percent, at 10,294.43. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> lost 13.63 points, or 1.23 percent, at 1,094.38. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> dropped 35.70 points, or 1.59 percent, at 2,206.33.
European shares were hurt both by the data on German business sentiment and the U.S. data. The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 <.FTEU3> index closed down 1.1 percent at 1,011.62 points, with banks the worst performers.
The closely watched Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller indexes added to the gloom on the economic outlook with a surprising drop in December U.S. home prices, although the annual rate of decline slowed. [ID:nN23248077] [ID:nN2375237]
"It's the second straight monthly decline in the Case-Shiller. So on balance, I think it might be generally negative for risk appetite and on the margin positive for the dollar," said Omer Esiner, senior market analyst for Travelex Global Business Payments in Washington.
The euro
EURO ZONE WOES
Germany's much watched Ifo business climate index fell as a result of harsh winter weather that weighed on the construction and retail sectors and hinted Europe's largest economy could revert to contracting in the first quarter.
The Ifo institute's business climate index fell to 95.2 in February, lower than forecasts for 96.1. [ID:nLDE61M0UN]
And a Fitch Ratings credit downgrade of Greece's four largest banks reminded investors of the fiscal problems in Athens and the lack of clarity from the euro zone on how it might aid one of its members. [ID:nWNA4501]
The U.S. dollar rose versus major currencies as measured by
the ICE Futures Exchanges's dollar index <.DXY>, which was up
0.48 percent at 80.891 from the prior session close of 80.507.
The dollar fell 0.99 percent to 90.22 yen
Sterling fell 0.38 percent to $1.5424
U.S. Treasury bond prices rose on the weak U.S. data. The
benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury
"Confidence was much weaker than expected and it put a bid under bonds. Dealers were setting up for the auction here and were forced to cover their shorts on this news," said Chris Rupkey, chief financial economist at Bank of Tokyo/Mitsubishi UFJ in New York.
Looking ahead to Wednesday, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke will testifies to Congress on the central bank's stimulus exit strategies, though speculation of a near-term rise in U.S. interest rates stemming from the U.S. central bank's hike in the discount rate last week has cooled.
In Europe, German two-year government bond yields touched a
euro-lifetime low of 0.906 percent
U.S. light sweet crude oil