* Base metals prices fall again as dollar gains
* Pfizer set to buy Allergan (N:AGN_pa) for $160 bln
* Commodities index hits 13-year low before recovering (Updates to U.S. afternoon markets)
By Caroline Valetkevitch
NEW YORK, Nov 23 (Reuters) - The dollar rose to an eight-month high on Monday amid heightened expectations that the U.S. Federal Reserve would raise interest rates next month, driving down the prices of copper, gold and other metals.
Worries that a buoyant dollar could discourage producers from cutting supply despite weak demand weighed on base metals prices. Copper fell to its cheapest in six months before recovering, while London nickel slid to its lowest since 2003. Gold fell nearly one percent towards last week's near-six-year low. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL8N13I28S urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL3N13I2F4
"In the context of a market waiting for supply-side cuts, a stronger dollar is only going to weigh on the cost curve and constrain the pace at which cutbacks are made," said Nicholas Snowdon, analyst at Standard Chartered (L:STAN).
U.S. stocks fell slightly in afternoon trading, with utilities .SPLRCU pressured by rate hike expectations.
The Dow Jones industrial average .DJI fell 60.49 points, or 0.34 percent, to 17,763.32, the S&P 500 .SPX lost 5.06 points, or 0.24 percent, to 2,084.11 and the Nasdaq Composite .IXIC dropped 11.70 points, or 0.23 percent, to 5,093.22.
"We're coming off a very strong performance, a market that has shown tremendous resilience and a strong propensity of coming back," said Andre Bakhos, managing director at Janlyn Capital LLC in Bernardsville, New Jersey.
The healthcare sector was in focus after Pfizer PFE.N said it would buy Botox maker Allergan AGN.N in a record deal worth $160 billion. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL3N13I2Z3
Other world equity markets also slipped after five days of gains, while European shares ended lower as commodity-related stocks fell. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL8N13I15I An MSCI index of global stock markets .MIWD00000PUS fell 0.4 percent, and a broad gauge of European stocks .FTEU3 ended down 0.3 percent.
The dollar index .DXY , which measures the greenback against six major currencies, rose 0.4 percent, touching 100.00, an eight-month high not far from this year's peak of 100.390.
San Francisco Fed President John Williams on Saturday cited a "strong case" for raising rates when Fed policymakers meet next month, as long as U.S. economic data does not disappoint. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N13G0MI His comments overshadowed Monday's lackluster U.S. manufacturing and housing reports.
Three-month copper CMCU3 on the London Metal Exchange hit a low of $4,443.50 a tonne before recovering to end at $4,490, down 2 percent. LME nickel CMNI3 fell as far as $8,175 before ending down 5 percent at $8,300. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL8N13I28S Spot gold XAU= was 0.7 percent lower at $1,070.33 an ounce.
A measure of commodity prices hit its lowest in 13 years before bouncing back. The Thomson Reuters Core Commodity CRB index .TRJCRB hit its lowest since November 2002. The gauge is down more than 20 percent so far this year. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL8N13I41W
Crude oil prices rose after Saudi Arabia's pledge to work on price stability offset some worries about the global oil glut.
Benchmark Brent futures LCOc1 were up 41 cents at $45.07 a barrel. U.S. crude's West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures CLc1 rose 7 cents to $41.97 a barrel.
U.S. Treasuries prices edged up, with benchmark 10-year Treasuries notes US10YT=RR up 4/32 for a yield of 2.25 percent, according to Reuters data.
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http://link.reuters.com/dub25t Currencies vs dollar
http://link.reuters.com/tak27s Commodities performance
http://link.reuters.com/rac73w
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