* USD on track for largest weekly loss since 2009
* Graphic: World FX rates in 2020 http://tmsnrt.rs/2egbfVh (Updates prices, adds stimulus bill passage)
By Rodrigo Campos
NEW YORK, March 27 (Reuters) - Stocks across the globe fell on Friday after a historic three-day run-up, with indexes poised to close the month and quarter with starkly negative performances, while the dollar was on track for its biggest weekly decline in over a decade.
Shares on Wall Street pared losses and the dollar fell further after the U.S. House of Representatives, as expected, approved a $2.2 trillion stimulus package, the largest in U.S. history. The bill, already passed by the Senate, will now go to the president, who is expected to promptly sign it into law. weakening in the dollar was seen partly as a sign that central bankers have been successful in easing stress in the money markets.
The market volatility is expected to continue as the coronavirus pandemic that triggered closures in economies worldwide remains very much a threat.
The United States surpassed two grim milestones on Thursday as virus-related deaths soared past 1,000 and it become the world leader in confirmed cases. Worldwide, confirmed cases rose above 551,000 with nearly 25,000 deaths. stimulus "is not necessarily enough to make people say, 'I've got to run out and buy stocks,'" said Rick Meckler, a partner at Cherry Lane Investments in New Jersey. "That's going to take more time."
The uncertainty over the overall human and economic toll was reflected in financial markets. MSCI's gauge of global stocks was on track to post both its largest weekly percentage gain since 2008 and its largest monthly and quarterly drops since 2008.
The infection rate for the coronavirus is driving much of the market at a time of great uncertainty, said Yousef Abbasi, global market strategist at INTL FCStone Financial Inc in New York.
"My big hang-up here is when the curve does start to flatten, that doesn't mean we can return to normal human and economic behavior," he said. "If we do return to normal human and economic behavior, we risk the chance the curve goes parabolic again. Just from the perspective of how long this potentially can last, there's still a great deal of uncertainty."
The Dow Jones Industrial Average .DJI fell 602.06 points, or 2.67%, to 21,950.11, the S&P 500 .SPX lost 56.88 points, or 2.16%, to 2,573.19 and the Nasdaq Composite .IXIC dropped 169.11 points, or 2.17%, to 7,628.43.
The pan-European STOXX 600 index .STOXX lost 3.26%, and MSCI's gauge of stocks across the globe .MIWD00000PUS shed 1.56%. Emerging market stocks lost 0.90%.
Stock markets have rallied over the past week on trillions of dollars of enacted and pledged economic stimulus by policymakers worldwide, from central banks to governments. Policymakers may need to offer more stimulus as the virus slams the brakes on economic activity and increases healthcare spending.
"Next week, markets will likely continue to focus on the spread of COVID-19 - whether European cases are reaching a peak, how much of the U.S. will be put in lockdown, and whether China can avoid a second wave," said Gaétan Peroux, strategist at UBS Global Wealth Management.
The $2.2 trillion stimulus package passed by the U.S. Congress will flood the world's largest economy with money to stem the economic damage from the pandemic. the avalanche of stimulus, the U.S. dollar extended its daily decline and remained on track for its biggest weekly decline since early 2009. The dollar index =USD fell 0.753% on Friday.
The euro EUR= was up 0.63% to $1.1098, the Japanese yen strengthened 1.59% versus the greenback at 107.90 per dollar, while sterling GBP= was last trading at $1.2432, up 1.89% on the day.
The U.S. currency's fall after two weeks of steep gains suggests the Federal Reserve's efforts to relieve a crunch in the dollar funding market are working, some analysts said.
"What we are seeing is abating stress in the money markets. Action by central banks has been successful so far and a shortage of dollars has been taken off the table," said Ulrich Leuchtmann, head of FX and EM research at Commerzbank (DE:CBKG).
U.S. Treasury yields were headed for a weekly decline, though the range of trading was far less volatile than in the previous two sessions.
Benchmark 10-year notes US10YT=RR last rose 21/32 in price to yield 0.7424%, from 0.808% late on Thursday. The 30-year bond US30YT=RR last rose 1-26/32 in price to yield 1.3291% from 1.395%.
Oil prices continued their fall on demand concerns as the virus slowed economies to a crawl, which outweighed the stimulus efforts. U.S. crude CLc1 recently fell 4.07% to $21.68 per barrel and Brent LCOc1 was recently at $24.98, down 5.16% on the day.
Gold market participants remained concerned about a supply squeeze after a sharp divergence between prices in London and New York. The virus has grounded planes used to transport gold and closed precious metal refineries. gold XAU= dropped 0.8% to $1,615.92 an ounce. The metal was on track to post its largest weekly advance since 2008.
<^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ World stocks vs. COVID-19 confirmed cases
https://reut.rs/2UEjBrT Global assets in 2020
http://tmsnrt.rs/2jvdmXl Global currencies vs. dollar
http://tmsnrt.rs/2egbfVh
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