* European shares, dollar reverse course
* Investors mull impact of a December "liftoff"
* U.S. GDP softer than expected
(Recasts, updates with European midday)
By Jamie McGeever
LONDON, Oct 29 (Reuters) - European shares and the U.S.
dollar fell on Thursday, reversing earlier gains, as investors
weighed up the negative implications that a U.S. interest rate
rise before the end of the year would have on the global economy
and markets.
The Federal Reserve, which kept its rates on hold as
expected on Wednesday, took the unusual step of strengthening
its language about timing in its statement, putting a December
rate hike back on the table.
In another hawkish tilt, the Fed also removed a previous
warning about slowing global growth, going against earlier
speculation that China's cooling economy could delay a rate hike
in the United States.
The first estimate of third quarter U.S. growth, released on
Thursday, showed the world's biggest economy expanded at a 1.5
percent annualised pace, sharply down from the previous quarter
and below the expected 1.6 percent.
But economists expect growth to pick up in the fourth
quarter, given strong domestic fundamentals.
"We may see more near-term volatility as the market prices
in the Fed's potential rate increase," said Ken Taubes, head of
U.S. investments at Pioneer Investments.
At midday in Europe the pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index
.FTEU3 was down 0.5 percent at 1,477 points. Earlier in Asia,
Japan's Nikkei share average .N225 gained 0.2 percent to close
at 18,935.71.
U.S. futures pointed to a fall of around 0.5 percent at the
open on Wall Street. On Wednesday, U.S. stocks ended a volatile
session with solid gains, underpinned by the Fed's relatively
upbeat stance despite recent worries about global growth due to
a slowdown in China.
U.S. Treasury yields and the dollar initially rose after the
Fed explicitly referred in its statement at the end of its
two-day policy meeting to conditions necessary "to raise the
target range at its next meeting". Reference to a particular
meeting is rare for the Fed.
The benchmark 10-year Treasury yield was still up 2 basis
points at 2.11 percent US10YT=RR .
SUNSHINE FED
Many investors are still not convinced about a lift-off
given a recent run of soft U.S. data, making economic releases
in coming weeks more crucial in determining a December move.
Economists also expect a key U.S. manufacturing index due on
Monday to show the first contraction in the sector
in 2-1/2 years, which would not be conducive for a rate hike.
The dollar gave back its earlier gains, with the euro
trading higher on the day at $1.0950 EUR= , having skidded to a
2-1/2 month low of $1.0826 overnight.
The Fed's stance is in contrast to the European Central Bank
and other major central banks, a factor that is expected to
underpin the dollar. The Fed and ECB hold policy decisions
within two weeks of each other in December.
The ECB last week signalled its readiness to inject more
stimulus to boost prices and the People's Bank of China followed
with its sixth interest rate cut in less than a year.
"If markets don't tighten financial conditions for them, if
the U.S. data remain firm, if global events don't scare them and
if the sun shines every day, the Fed will raise rates at their
December meeting," Societe Generale (PA:SOGN) currency analysts wrote in a
note on Thursday.
Crude oil futures fell, although they retained most of their
gains after soaring more than 6 percent overnight as the U.S.
government reported an inventory build-up, which triggered a
short-covering rally after three days of losses.
U.S. crude CLc1 fell 1 percent to $45.56 a barrel. Brent
LCOc1 slipped 1.3 percent to $48.40.
Spot gold ticked up to $1,157 an ounce, after
skidding more than 1 percent in the previous session in the wake
of the Fed's hawkish message.