* Stocks edge down, caution remains ahead of Fed
* Fed statement due 1800 GMT
* Dollar index touches new three-month lows
(Updates throughout, adds OECD, chart, comment)
By Dhara Ranasinghe
LONDON, June 10 (Reuters) - Stock markets nudged down from
more than three-month highs on Wednesday, while the dollar
stumbled as caution took hold ahead of a U.S. Federal Reserve
meeting.
After weeks of strong gains, propelled by hopes of a swift
economic recovery as coronavirus-induced lockdowns lift, equity
markets appear to have run out of steam for now. Support for
safe havens from gold to the yen, also pointed to wariness.
European stocks gave up early gains and were broadly
negative .STOXX .GDAX .FCHI , holding below recent
three-month highs. U.S. stock market futures also headed lower.
MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan
.MIAPJ0000PUS , which has galloped 9% higher in June and is 35%
above March lows, rose 0.5%. Japan's Nikkei .N225 closed up
just 0.15%.
No action is expected from the Fed, but any hint of taking
the foot off the pedal could hurt risk sentiment and lift the
dollar. More dovishness could have the opposite effect.
Focus is on its economic outlook and whether a steepening of
the U.S. yield curve during last week's bond selloff might
prompt intervention to keep long-term borrowing costs down.
"At this stage (Fed chief Jerome) Powell will be cautious
about being too confident and for markets, there is more of a
risk of there being a wobble than a prompt to go higher," said
Seema Shah, chief strategist at Principal Global Investors in
London.
Data showing the sharpest slump in China's producer prices
in four years - pointing to flagging global demand - served as a
reminder of the impact the coronavirus pandemic is having on the
global economy. So did the latest outlook from the Organisation for Economic
Cooperation and Development (OECD). It said on Wednesday that
the global economy will suffer the biggest peace-time downturn
in a century before it emerges next year from a
coronavirus-inflicted recession. The MSCI world stock index, up nearly 45% from 4-year lows
struck in mid-March .MIWD00000PUS , also held just below recent
three-month highs.
DOWNBEAT DOLLAR
The Fed's policy statement is due at 1800 GMT and is
followed by a news conference half an hour later.
Speculation that the Fed could take steps to curb the recent
rise in bond yields pushed the dollar down. FRX/
The dollar index, which measures the greenback's value
against a basket of other major currencies, fell to a fresh
three-month low at 96.057 =USD before recovering some ground.
The U.S. currency was down almost 0.4% at 107.35 yen
JPY=EBS , having hit its lowest in around 1-1/2 weeks.
The euro was a almost a fifth of a percent firmer at $1.1358
EUR=EBS , while the Aussie dollar AUD=D3 last sat at $0.6988,
about 0.4% higher on the day.
Ahead of the Fed, the U.S. 10-year Treasury yield fell to
around 0.80% US10YT=RR , its lowest level in almost a week.
"While we expect the Fed to do its utmost to maintain the
dovish tone with the possibility of them re-introducing economic
projections, and potentially pushing for a more explicit
approach to yield curve control, as it stands risk-on moves look
stretched," said Henry Occleston, a rates strategist at Mizuho.
Gold was 0.25% firmer on the day at $1,718 per ounce XAU= .
GOL/
Oil prices were on the back foot on renewed concerns about
oversupply and underlying economic weakness. Brent crude LCOc1
was last down 2% at $40.33 per barrel. U.S crude CLc1 tumbled
2.5% to $37.95 a barrel. O/R
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