* Stock indexes around the world fall on economic/trade
jitters
* Investors weigh U.S. data and ongoing trade tensions
* Oil falls sharply on demand and supply concerns
* Hopes high for Fed rate cut hints ahead of June meeting
(Updates to close, adds commentary)
By Sinéad Carew
NEW YORK, June 12 (Reuters) - Oil prices slid 4% on
Wednesday on higher U.S. crude inventories and a bleaker demand
outlook, while uncertainty over the U.S.-China trade war and
U.S. economic data weighed on stocks.
The dollar index .DXY rose as trade tensions and U.S.
interest rate policy remained in focus after President Donald
Trump expressed optimism about the prospects for a trade deal
with China but continued to threaten tariff increases in the
absence of a deal. Earlier in the day, May data showed moderate inflation as
U.S. consumer prices barely rose. That, with a slowing economy,
could build a case for the U.S. Federal Reserve to cut interest
rates. Weak economic data such as Wednesday's has investors hoping
the Fed would give hints about a rate cut after its June 18-19
meeting.
But Michael James, managing director of equity trading at
Wedbush Securities in Los Angeles, said: "People don't want to
be too far over their skis going into next week."
Hopes for a rate cut were not enough to outweigh worries
about the economic impact of escalating trade tensions.
With under three weeks to go before proposed talks between
Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the June 28-29 G20
summit in Osaka, Trump said on Wednesday he had a "feeling" a
U.S.-China trade deal could be reached. But he again threatened
to increase tariffs on Chinese goods if there is no agreement.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average .DJI fell 43.68 points,
or 0.17%, to 26,004.83, the S&P 500 .SPX lost 5.88 points, or
0.20%, to 2,879.84 and the Nasdaq Composite .IXIC dropped
29.85 points, or 0.38%, to 7,792.72.
The pan-European STOXX 600 index .STOXX lost 0.30% and
MSCI's gauge of stocks across the globe .MIWD00000PUS shed
0.28%.
OIL FALLS, TREASURY YIELD CURVE STEEPENS
The U.S. Treasury yield curve was steeper after soft inflation
data pulled short-dated yields lower.
Looking ahead, "focus will continue to turn to headlines
surrounding trade. Also in focus the remainder of the week will
be the $16 billion 30-year auction tomorrow (Thursday) and
retail sales on Friday," wrote Justin Lederer, Treasury analyst
and trader at Cantor Fitzgerald. Benchmark 10-year notes US10YT=RR last rose 6/32 in price
to yield 2.1205%, from 2.14% late on Tuesday.
In currency markets, the dollar index .DXY , tracking the
currency against six major peers, rose 0.33%, with the euro
EUR= down 0.35% to $1.1289.
The euro dropped as Trump said he was considering sanctions
over Russia's Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline project and
warned Germany against being dependent on Russia for energy.
Oil futures extended their losses as the day wore on and
ended the session with their lowest settlements in nearly five
months, weakened by an unexpected rise in U.S. crude inventories
and a dimming outlook for global oil demand. L4N23J0NR
"The fact that this surplus has been mounting during the
past couple of months despite a near-record pace of exports in
recent weeks is not only suggesting weak demand from the
refiners but also a much stronger pace of imports than we had
anticipated," Jim Ritterbusch of Ritterbusch and Associates said
in a note.
U.S. crude CLcv1 settled down 4% or $2.13 to $51.14 per
barrel while Brent crude futures settled down 3.7% or $2.32 at
$59.97.
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GRAPHIC-Asia stock markets https://tmsnrt.rs/2zpUAr4
GRAPHIC-Asia-Pacific valuations https://tmsnrt.rs/2Dr2BQA
GRAPHIC-Past trade spats have caused dollar depreciation https://tmsnrt.rs/2WR0HkT
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