GLOBAL MARKETS-Oil, stocks slide on global demand worries

* Global demand worries, firm dollar pressure commodities

* Greece debt worries pressures euro, lifts dollar

* Oil extends slide to $111 on demand concerns

* World stocks slip 1.1 pct, Wall Street also retreats (Adds byline, fresh prices)

By Richard Leong and Herbert Lash

NEW YORK, May 12 (Reuters) - Concern about slower economic growth in China and Europe pressured commodity prices again on Thursday, prompting investors to dump stocks and risky assets in favor of U.S. Treasury bonds and the U.S. dollar.

China raised bank reserve requirements another time to keep inflation in check amid signs of a slowing economy, while data showed euro zone industrial production fell unexpectedly in March, suggesting regional growth in the first quarter was less than expected. For details see:[ID:nL3E7GC2W4][ID:nLDE74B11S].

The U.S. economy also struggled to gain momentum early in the second quarter, with retail sales posting their smallest rise in nine months in April and wholesale prices increasing more than expected. [ID:nN12296928]

Persistent speculation about a possible Greek debt restructuring also caused investors to pare their holdings of higher-risk assets and pressured the euro for a second day, providing a boost for the U.S. dollar.

The U.S. Dollar Index <.DXY> was up 0.04 percent at 75.356, while the euro

Crude oil, priced in dollars, fell almost 1.0 percent at one point, while gold and silver fell sharply for a second day and copper prices sagged to a five-month low as last week's slump in commodity prices resumed.

Investors sold stocks worldwide. The Thomson Reuters global stock index <.TRXFLDGLPU> declined 0.8 percent.

On Wall Street, the Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> was down 49.23 points, or 0.39 percent, at 12,580.80. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> was down 5.19 points, or 0.39 percent, at 1,336.89. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> was down 6.71 points, or 0.24 percent, at 2,838.35.

In Europe, the FTSEurofirst 300 <.FTEU3> index of top regional shares was down 1.1 percent.

The commodities slump is "front and center" among drivers of the equities market, said Rick Meckler, president of LibertyView Capital Management in New York.

"Watching commodities' volatility increase is just making people aware the potential exists for equity volatility to pick up in a similar fashion," Meckler said.

Nervous investors piled into low-risk government debt and the dollar <.DXY>, which at one point in the session rose to a three-week high versus a currency basket and six-week high versus to euro

The 30-year U.S. Treasury bond

U.S. DOLLAR RISES

Some analysts expect the latest bout of risk aversion will prompt investors to continue unwinding carry trades in which they borrowed dollars to buy higher-yielding assets. This could offer more support to the dollar in the near term, they added.

"We're seeing an unwinding of dollar carry trades and we could be set for a round of dollar strength," said Michael Hewson, currency strategist at CMC Markets in London.

The retrenchment in carry trades has been most damaging to the commodity complex.

Silver

Copper was last down 0.9 percent at $8,626.50 after falling to $8,504.50, its weakest since early December.

Oil prices stayed under pressure in the wake of a surprise rise in U.S. gasoline inventories.

Brent crude fell 1.3 percent to $111.70 per barrel, extending the previous day's fall of more than 4 percent, according to Reuters data. U.S. crude fell 1.8 percent to $96.40, adding to its 5 percent tumble on Wednesday. (Reporting by Rodrigo Campos and Chris Reese in New York; Alex Lawler, Amanda Cooper, Emelia Sithole-Matarise and Pratima Desai in London; Editing by Theodore d'Afflisio)