* S&P 500 down in afternoon NY trade
* Brexit, virus worries weigh on European shares
* Sterling lower as no trade deal on Brexit likely
* Dollar gets boost as risk sentiment sours
(Updates with European stocks closing lower)
By Caroline Valetkevitch
NEW YORK, Dec 11 (Reuters) - Global stock indexes eased and
the dollar rose on Friday amid continued concerns over the
timing of more U.S. economic stimulus.
The S&P 500 and Nasdaq were lower in afternoon New York
trading, while the Dow was near flat. Rising coronavirus deaths are causing fresh business
restrictions in many U.S. states and increasing layoffs, making
investors anxious to hear whether more fiscal relief is coming.
House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday
raised the possibility of stimulus negotiations dragging on
through Christmas.
"Investors are wondering what is it that Congress needs to
hear before they decide to act ... their focus is more on
politics than it is on the American economy," said CFRA Chief
Investment Strategist Sam Stovall.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is expected to issue
an emergency use authorization for Pfizer Inc's PFE.N COVID-19
vaccine later in the day, the New York Times reported.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average .DJI fell 12.34 points,
or 0.04%, to 29,986.92, the S&P 500 .SPX lost 16.69 points, or
0.46%, to 3,651.41 and the Nasdaq Composite .IXIC dropped
80.57 points, or 0.65%, to 12,325.24.
The pan-European STOXX 600 index .STOXX closed down 0.8%
and MSCI's gauge of stocks across the globe .MIWD00000PUS shed
0.40%.
Still, recent U.S. initial public offerings suggested
investors were generally upbeat on equities, even as jobs data
pointed to U.S. economic weakness.
The dollar index =USD rose 0.2%.
Sterling slipped as bets on further volatility in the
currency grew as a disorderly Brexit appeared more likely.
Sterling GBP= was last trading at $1.3218, down 0.56% on the
day. Britain is likely to complete its journey out of the
European Union in three weeks without a trade deal, British
Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission chief
Ursula von der Leyen said on Friday.
Morgan Stanley said it expects London's FTSE 250 index to
drop 6%-10% if London and Brussels fail to agree a trade deal,
with insurance, real estate and homebuilding stocks also at
risk. U.S. Treasury yields were lower across maturities as
complications in negotiations over a U.S. fiscal stimulus deal
increased demand for the safe-haven securities. Benchmark 10-year notes US10YT=RR last rose 5/32 in price
to yield 0.8915%, from 0.908% late on Thursday.
Oil prices LCOc1 CLc1 were lower, while spot gold prices
XAU= were higher.
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World FX rates in 2020 http://tmsnrt.rs/2egbfVh
2020 asset performance http://tmsnrt.rs/2yaDPgn
Sterling volatility https://tmsnrt.rs/3m7AZ3W
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