By Jeremy Gaunt, European Investment Correspondent
LONDON (Reuters) - A weaker oil price reflecting poor economic demand ahead shut off a rally in world stocks on Friday while government bond yields sank.
Wall Street looked set for a poor start and the dollar recovered from early losses.
Oil fell below $54 a barrel, on course to end the month down more than 20 percent, as OPEC ministers prepared to meet in Cairo to discuss potential further supply cuts to combat a global fall in demand .
Indian stocks were higher as a siege in Mumbai between police and Islamist gunmen continued, but India's 10 year bond yield fell to its lowest level in three years on expectations that the attacks will an impetus to rate cuts.
Globally, the MSCI all-country world index .MIWD00000PUS was flat, although it had gained around 11.6 percent, the first weekly gain in four weeks.
"On a range of measures, there is undoubted value to be found in many of the world's equity markets," said Sarah Arkle, chief investment officer with Threadneedle Asset Management.
But economic woes held back an earlier rally.
The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 .FTEU3 was down 0.3 percent, led lower by oil-related companies.
Earlier, Japan's Nikkei average .N225 climbed 1.7 percent for its best week in a month. It gained 138.88 points to 8,512.27, while the broader Topix .TOPX was up 0.7 percent to 834.82.
A monthly Reuters survey found that Japanese retail investors became slightly less pessimistic about domestic equities in November, fitting with other signs globally that recent market sell offs may be bottoming at least temporarily.
OPEC TO MEET
Oil fell below $53 a barrel for a while before recovering slightly. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries is to hold an informal meeting on Saturday in Cairo, as it struggles to slice output fast enough to keep pace with a recessionary reduction in fuel demand in the West that has sent crude prices down nearly two-thirds since July.
U.S. light crude for January delivery stood at $53.32 a barrel, down $1.12.
The dollar regained traction against major currencies after early losses.
It was 0.2 percent higher against a basket of six major currencies .DXY, while the euro lost 0.4 percent to $1.2838. The dollar lost 0.1 percent to 95.22 yen.
Euro zone government bonds rose, reflecting concern about the economy and expectations of interest rate cuts. Two-year Schatz yields sank 10 basis points to 2.213 percent.
