U.S. stocks fell and the dollar lost ground for a fourth straight session against the yen on Friday, extending a recent retreat sparked by worries that major central banks may soon start scaling back stimulative policies, according to Reuters. But European and Asian share markets held gains, helping keep the MSCI world index 0.3 percent higher on the day. The index, however, was on pace for a fourth straight week of losses. Jitters over the longevity of monetary policy around the world have roiled markets recently, and nerves were stretched further this week when the Bank of Japan decided to hold policy steady. The concerns have fueled a selloff in global equities, emerging markets, risky bonds and commodities, which have been buoyed by central bank liquidity, while driving the safe-haven yen sharply higher. Wall Street stocks fell as investors took profits after the S&P 500 recorded its second best day of the year on Thursday. The decline was led by weakness in the financial and energy sectors, after the market rallied more than 1 percent on stronger-than-expected U.S. economic data. The Dow Jones industrial average lost 75.39 points, or 0.50 percent, at 15,100.69. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index was down 5.97 points, or 0.36 percent, at 1,630.39. The Nasdaq Composite Index was down 16.68 points, or 0.48 percent, at 3,428.70. The dollar continued its slide versus the yen, heading for a weekly loss of 3.3 percent, the biggest since July 2009. -- SPA 19:23 LOCAL TIME 16:23 GMT تغريد
