* US stocks sink; Dow down 3 pct
* Bond yields add to rate worries
* BOE's hawkish message lifts sterling, gilt yields
* Sentiment in stock markets remains frail
* Oil falls as US output soars, N Sea supply restarts (Updates with oil price settlements)
By Caroline Valetkevitch
NEW YORK, Feb 8 (Reuters) - Stocks in world indexes fell again on Thursday, with major U.S. indexes dropping more than 3 percent in late afternoon trade after U.S. bond yields earlier crept back up towards four-year highs.
U.S. Treasury yields climbed after the Bank of England said interest rates probably need to rise sooner, adding to expectations of reduced central bank monetary stimulus around the world.
Bond prices have weakened in the past week-and-a-half as investors adjusted for the likelihood of a stronger U.S. economy and higher inflation, which could lead the Federal Reserve to boost interest rates more times than previously anticipated.
The drop in bond prices and the subsequent rise in yields have kept equity investors nervous about higher interest rates and inflation.
"Now we are having acute attention on what happens in the bond markets, so when yields move up there is an unsettling feeling in the equity market. Things haven't quietened down," said Jason Ware, chief investment officer and chief economist at Albion Financial Group in Salt Lake City, Utah.
"As rates rise, things, as far as equity investors are concerned, are getting worse," he said.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average .DJI fell 762.23 points, or 3.06 percent, to 24,131.12, the S&P 500 .SPX lost 72.46 points, or 2.70 percent, to 2,609.2 and the Nasdaq Composite .IXIC dropped 202.47 points, or 2.87 percent, to 6,849.52. pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index .FTEU3 lost 1.74 percent and MSCI's gauge of stocks across the globe .MIWD00000PUS shed 1.98 percent.
Emerging market stocks lost 1.10 percent.
The recent selloff, sparked by last Friday's jump in Treasury yields, sent the VIX index .VIX , Wall Street's "fear gauge," sharply higher. The index was back up above the 30 level on Thursday.
RISING BOND YIELDS
An improving outlook internationally is adding to pressure on global fixed income markets. The Bank of England raised its growth forecasts for Britain due to the strong global recovery.
"We've got yet another confirmation that a major central bank is wringing its hands over the possibility that economic growth is accelerating beyond current capacity," said Jim Vogel, an interest rate strategist at FTN Financial in Memphis, Tennessee.
Also underpinning yields, U.S. congressional leaders Wednesday reached a two-year budget deal to raise government spending by almost $300 billion.
While the deal was a rare display of bipartisanship that should stave off a government shutdown, it looks set to widen the U.S. federal deficit further and could fan inflation. 10-year notes US10YT=RR last fell 1/32 in price to yield 2.8367 percent, from 2.832 percent late on Wednesday.
European bond yields DE10YT=TWEB also rose, lifted by the prospect of increased fiscal spending after Wednesday's coalition government deal in Germany. prices fell after data showed U.S. crude output had reached record highs and the North Sea's largest crude pipeline reopened following an outage. crude oil CLcv1 dropped 1 percent to settle at $61.15 a barrel, while Brent LCOcv1 fell 1.1 percent to $64.81.
In the foreign exchange market, the dollar was flat after earlier hitting two-week highs against a basket of major currencies as investors reduced bearish bets on the greenback.
The dollar index .DXY rose 0.03 percent, with the euro EUR= down 0.11 percent to $1.2248.
<^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ GRAPHIC: Volatility is back
http://reut.rs/2shv4CM GRAPHIC: World FX rates in 2018
http://tmsnrt.rs/2egbfVh GRAPHIC: MSCI All Country World Index Market Cap
http://tmsnrt.rs/2EmTD6j GRAPHIC: Emerging markets in 2018
http://tmsnrt.rs/2ihRugV GRAPHIC: S&P earnings yield vs 10-yr bond yield
http://reut.rs/2sl4Sax
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