* S&P 500 falls 1.5 pct
* 10-yr Treasury yields hit 1.53 pct, lowest since Aug. '12
* U.S., European banking shares tumble
* Oil prices fall, gold hits highest in a year
* U.S. dollar hits lowest vs. yen since Oct. '14
By Sam Forgione
NEW YORK, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Stock indexes worldwide tumbled
on Thursday on fears over the health of the global economy, with
banking shares slumping on both sides of the Atlantic, while
safe-haven 10-year Treasury yields hit their lowest since 2012.
Investors fear that the negative interest rates employed by
a growing band of central banks to boost economic growth are now
undermining the health of banks.
The U.S. benchmark S&P 500 .SPX stock index was 1.5
percent lower and the FTSEurofirst 300 .FTEU3 index of top
European shares was down 3.39 percent to its lowest level in two
and a half years. .N
The U.S. dollar slid to its lowest against the safe-haven
yen since October 2014 of 110.985 yen, and was on track for its
worst week against the Japanese currency since 2008 on the fears
over the health of the global economy. USD/
The decline in stocks and the dollar came even as Fed Chair
Janet Yellen sought to reassure investors in Congressional
testimony that the Fed will remain flexible in its approach.
However, the markets already do not expect the Fed to raise
rates further this year, compared with Fed forecasts that still
point to more tightening. L2N15Q1G6
"We are watching developments very carefully," Yellen told
the U.S. Senate Banking committee. "I would say there is always
some chance of a recession in any year. But the evidence
suggests that expansions don't die of old age."
Bank stocks in Europe fell more than 6.0 percent .SX7P ,
making them the worst-performing sector and widening their
losses for the year to about 28 percent. Disappointing results
from Societe Generale SOGN.PA dragged down shares of France's
second-biggest bank by 13 percent, compounding fears.
U.S. bank stocks were also hit, with the S&P financial index
.SPSY dropping 2.9 percent. Concerns over profitability in a
low-growth, low-interest rate environment have knocked
confidence in the banking sector this week, particularly in
Europe.
"The key driver is this immense pessimism in asset markets,
unwillingness to hold anything but the safest assets," said
Steven Englander, managing director and global head of G10 FX
strategy at Citigroup (N:C).
U.S. TEN YEAR TREASURY YIELD AT LOWEST SINCE AUG 2012
Yields on benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury notes hit 1.53
percent, their lowest level since August 2012, on the worries
over global growth and the effectiveness of central bank policy.
"The central banks have been taking extraordinary policy
actions in the last several years...and now we're seeing that it
hasn't been as effective as everyone had been assuming," said
Brad McMillan, chief investment officer for Commonwealth
Financial Network in Waltham, Massachusetts.
"When you add in the fact that the European banking system
is under serious threat right now, you could actually see a path
to the kind of systemic crisis that we had in 2008."
MSCI's all-country world equity index .MIWD00000PUS , which
tracks shares in 45 nations, was last down 4.92 points, or 1.37
percent, at 353.16.
The Dow Jones industrial average .DJI was last down 312.63
points, or 1.96 percent, at 15,602.11. The S&P 500 .SPX was
down 30.51 points, or 1.65 percent, at 1,821.35. The Nasdaq
Composite .IXIC was down 50.93 points, or 1.19 percent, at
4,232.66.
Europe's broad FTSEurofirst 300 index .FTEU3 was last down
3.16 percent at 1,202.22.
Oil prices fell amid record U.S. crude inventories, worries
about the demand outlook and a Goldman Sachs (N:GS) forecast that
prices would remain low and volatile until the second half of
the year.
Brent crude LCOc1 was last down 65 cents, or 2.11 percent,
at $30.19 a barrel. U.S. crude CLc1 was last down $1.05, or
3.83 percent, at $26.4 per barrel.
Safe-haven asset gold surged to its highest in a year. Spot
gold prices XAU= were last up $49.37, or 4.12 percent, at
$1,246.48 an ounce.