* Yields on global benchmark bonds push higher
* U.S. dollar hits 7-1/2-year peak vs Swedish crown
* U.S. stocks fall; Comcast drop offset by healthcare
* Oil rises on OPEC comments (Adds U.S. stocks close; updates throughout)
By Hilary Russ
NEW YORK, Oct 27 (Reuters) - Strong growth data out ofBritain prompted the biggest daily sell-off in government debtfor months and pushed yields on the world's benchmark bondshigher on Thursday, as expectations eased for a Bank of Englandinterest rate cut.
The bond sell-off gained momentum in the United States afterupbeat jobless claims data pointed to another robust nonfarmpayrolls number next week.
Wall Street closed lower, dipping in a choppy session afterthe latest round of earnings reports. Losses in Comcast andconsumer discretionary stocks offset gains in the healthcaresector, while European stocks slid and the U.S. dollar advancedagainst the Swedish crown and Japanese yen.
Official data showed that growth in Britain's economyslowed only slightly in the three months after it voted to exitthe European Union. It grew 0.5 percent between July andSeptember, a touch less than the second quarter's 0.7 percent,enough to temper fears about an immediate economic impactfollowing the Brexit decision.
Britain's 10-year gilt advanced to more thanfour-month highs, while German 10-year bund yields rose tofive-month peaks, lifting U.S. Treasury yields inthe process.
"The stronger (gross domestic data) print in the UK hasgiven further weight to speculation that the BoE will notprovide further stimulus any time soon," said Rabobankstrategist Richard McGuire.
In U.S. equity markets, investors took Qualcomm's deal to buy NXP Semiconductors for about $47billion as a sign of confidence, sending up shares of both.
Despite beating earnings estimates a day earlier, Comcast pulled the S&P and Nasdaq lower, paring some lossesafter falling as much as 2.7 percent following price target cutsfrom Barclays and Deutsche Bank.
The Dow Jones industrial average fell 29.65 points,or 0.16 percent, to 18,169.68, the S&P 500 lost 6.39points, or 0.3 percent, to 2,133.04 and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 34.29 points, or 0.65 percent, to 5,215.97.
Interest-rate sensitive sectors also struggled as bondyields rose. The S&P real estate sector was down 2.45percent and on track for its worst decline in five weeks whileutilities shed 0.53 percent.
Europe's STOXX 600 slipped 0.01 percent, withdefensive sectors such as healthcare and utilities providing thebiggest boost to the index, underscoring investor caution.
The MSCI all-country world stock index fell0.34 percent.
The U.S. dollar hit its highest in more than seven and ahalf years against the Swedish crown after dovish comments fromSweden's central bank, and a three-month high against the yen on expectations for a December Federal Reserve rate hike.
The dollar extended gains during the day, surging 1.82percent against the Swedish crown at 9.0696 crowns, aftertouching 9.0890, its highest since early March 2009.
Oil prices edged higher as commitments from Gulf OPECmembers to cut production assuaged some lingering doubts in themarket about cooperation from other producers.
Brent crude was up 49 cents, or 1 percent, at $50.47a barrel while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude gained54 cents, or 1.1 percent, to $49.72. (Additional reporting by William Schomberg, Costas Pitas,Abhinav Ramnarayan and John Geddie in London and GertrudeChavez-Dreyfuss, Chuck Mikolajczak, Sam Forgione and Ethan Louin New York; Editing by Nick Zieminski and James Dalgleish)
Barclays (BARC)
