GLOBAL MARKETS-Wall St dips on mixed economic data, US-Iran tensions boost crude

By Stephen Culp

NEW YORK, Feb 19 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks moved modestly lower on Thursday following mixed economic data and Walmart's WMT.O disappointing coming-year forecast, while signs of a sturdy labor market helped the dollar extend its upward climb.

All three major U.S. stock indexes followed their European counterparts slightly lower, setting course to snap their three-session winning streaks, while mounting concerns over oil supply arising from a potential U.S.-Iran conflict helped bolster crude prices.

"Today (investors are) weighing some of the economic data and what Walmart’s earnings are saying in terms of the consumer," says Chuck Carlson, CEO at Horizon Investment Services in Hammond, Indiana.

"I think investors are trying to grapple with trying to make a decision whether this rotation trade has legs or if it’s starting to run its course," Carlson added, referring to the transition away from mega-cap tech-related momentum stocks.

A spate of economic data showed a dip in jobless claims and U.S. trade data, which recorded its widest goods deficit on record as imports rebounded despite President Donald Trump's tariffs.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average .DJI fell 341.92 points, or 0.69%, to 49,320.74, the S&P 500 .SPX fell 32.23 points, or 0.47%, to 6,848.95 and the Nasdaq Composite .IXIC fell 118.06 points, or 0.52%, to 22,635.31.

European shares pulled back from Wednesday's record closing high as investors parsed a mixed bag of corporate earnings, particularly Airbus AIR.PA, AIR.DE and iron ore producer Rio Tinto RIO.L.

MSCI's gauge of stocks across the globe .MIWD00000PUS fell 3.95 points, or 0.38%, to 1,045.74.

The pan-European STOXX 600 .STOXX index fell 0.53%, while Europe's broad FTSEurofirst 300 index .FTEU3 fell 13.81 points, or 0.55%.

Emerging market stocks .MSCIEF fell 0.28 points, or 0.02%, to 1,560.60. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan .MIAPJ0000PUS closed higher by 0.28%, to 799.85, while Japan's Nikkei .N225 rose 323.99 points, or 0.57%, to 57,467.83.

U.S.-IRAN TENSIONS SEND OIL PRICES HIGHER

Crude prices continued to rise, reaching a six-month high due to supply concerns arising from the growing possibility of a potential military conflict between the United States and Iran.

"It’s the elephant in the room, what's going on in the Middle East," Carlson said. "It certainly has ramifications for commodities, specifically oil and also gold."

U.S. crude CLc1 rose 1.90% to settle at $66.43 per barrel, while Brent LCOc1 settled at $71.66 per barrel, up 1.86% on the day.

The dollar edged higher as solid jobless claims data and minutes from the U.S. Federal Reserve appeared to show a divide among policymakers regarding the need to cut interest rates in the near term.

"The jobs market is okay, but there's still a bit of job insecurity that's out there," Carlson added. "It gives the Fed a pause, trying to evaluate not just the numbers, but how job insecurity is affecting the rest of the economy."

The dollar index =USD, which measures the greenback against a basket of currencies including the yen and the euro, rose 0.18% to 97.88, with the euro EUR= down 0.12% at $1.1768.

Against the Japanese yen JPY=, the dollar strengthened 0.08% to 154.95.

In cryptocurrencies, bitcoin BTC= gained 0.83% to $66,877.47. Ethereum ETH= declined 0.28% to $1,936.35.

U.S. Treasury yields were mixed following Treasury Department's $9 billion auction of 30-year debt.

The yield on benchmark U.S. 10-year notes US10YT=RR fell 1 basis point to 4.071%, from 4.081% late on Wednesday.

The 30-year bond US30YT=RR yield fell 0.4 basis points to 4.703% from 4.707% late on Wednesday.

The 2-year note US2YT=RR yield, which typically moves in step with interest rate expectations for the Federal Reserve, rose 0.4 basis points to 3.464%, from 3.46% late on Wednesday.

Gold prices pared earlier gains and were last essentially unchanged as investors weighed mounting U.S.-Iran tensions against data hinting at labor market stability.

Spot gold XAU= rose 0.17% to $4,987.63 an ounce. U.S. gold futures GCc1 fell 0.04% to $4,984.50 an ounce.