Reuters: US Dollar Report: GLOBAL MARKETS-Shares flat, oil falls as eyes turn to US 'fiscal cliff'

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GLOBAL MARKETS-Shares flat, oil falls as eyes turn to US 'fiscal cliff' Dec 13th 2012, 15:15 Thu Dec 13, 2012 10:15am EST * World shares flat after Fed move to keep stimulus * U.S. budget talk uncertainty weighs * Dollar recovers against most currencies * Oil falls on fears of rising stockpiles, cliff talks By Herbert Lash NEW YORK, Dec 13 (Reuters) - World shares were little changed but commodity prices slipped on Thursday as investors looked past the Federal Reserve's announcement on Wednesday of further monetary stimulus and re-focused on the unresolved showdown over the U.S. "fiscal cliff." Wall Street stocks opened slight lower, following declines in European equity markets, and the U.S. dollar was little changed against the euro after three days of declines. Analysts said news on U.S. government efforts to avert some $600 billion in spending cuts and tax hikes due in January would likely drive financial markets after the Fed announced on Wednesday it would explicitly link its policy path to unemployment and inflation. Negotiations are expected to continue Thursday on the "fiscal cliff" with Republicans at a growing public opinion disadvantage and approval ratings for President Barack Obama rising to levels not seen since the killing of Osama bin Laden. Data showing U.S. retail sales rose in November and jobless claims fell sharply last week were hopeful signs for an economy that appears to have slowed sharply in the fourth quarter, but the news did little to budge the market. "Consumers have recovered somewhat after October's drop in sales but the trend has been declining since last June," Joseph Trevisani, chief market strategist at Worldwide Markets, Woodcliff Lake in New Jersey, said of November retail sales. "When the results are adjusted for inflation, these are not numbers that will bring the Fed's employment goals any closer." The Dow Jones industrial average was down 1.45 points, or 0.01 percent, at 13,244.00. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index was down 0.86 points, or 0.06 percent, at 1,427.62. The Nasdaq Composite Index was down 1.95 points, or 0.06 percent, at 3,011.86. MSCI's all-country world equity index, which had seen seven straight days of gains, rose 0.04 percent at 337.91 points. In Europe, the FTSEurofirst 300 index fell 0.31 percent to 1,136.14 points, ending a three-week rally that had pushed prices to 18-month highs. Crude oil prices slipped under $109 a barrel due to rising U.S. oil stockpiles, while fears that the world's largest economy might miss a deadline for next year's budget and risk a recession also kept bulls in check. Benchmark Brent crude fell 90 cents to $108.60 a barrel, while U.S. crude was at $86.31, down 46 cents. The benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury note was down 7/32 in price to yield 1.7247 percent. Link this Share this Digg this Email Reprints

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