* European shares extend losses into 4th day
* Gold recovers after sharp falls but still volatile
* Brent crude drops below $99 as demand worries persist
* Euro retreats from 7-week high versus dollar
By Herbert Lash
NEW YORK, April 17 (Reuters) - Worldwide shares and commodities fell on Wednesday as global growth concerns sparked by the International Monetary Fund overshadowed the prospect of central bank stimulus in the United States and Japan.
U.S. stocks fell almost 1 percent at the open, following declines of more than 1 percent in Europe from a broad sell-off in mining and industrial stocks and after the IMF on Tuesday downgraded its global growth projections for this year and next.
Gold rose, bucking a fall in other commodities, after a slide to two-year lows this week lured Asian buyers, but sentiment was still severely shaken by the biggest two-day loss in 30 years.
Copper fell more than 3 percent, weighed by worries about economic growth and a 10.3 percent decline of European car sales in March, a key source of metals demand.
Defying earlier industry predictions of a second-half rebound, car sales in Europe are headed for a sixth straight annual decline, to a two-decade low.
Brent crude fell below $99 per barrel, pulled lower by the prospect of sluggish U.S. and Chinese fuel demand and rising crude stockpiles in the United States.
The North Sea benchmark has lost nearly 6 percent over the past five sessions in a commodities rout triggered by data showing growth in China, the world's second-largest oil consumer, slowed unexpectedly in this year's first three months.
The benchmark S&P 500 index retreated from its second-best daily performance of the year after several disappointing earnings reports and the drop in commodities.
The Dow Jones industrial average was down 109.19 points, or 0.74 percent, at 14,647.59. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index was down 14.72 points, or 0.93 percent, at 1,559.85. The Nasdaq Composite Index was down 35.70 points, or 1.09 percent, at 3,228.93.
First (Other OTC: FSTC - news) -quarter revenue at Yahoo Inc (NasdaqGS: YHOO - news) fell shy of expectations on declining Web traffic and falling advertising sales. Intel Corp said its current-quarter revenue would decline as much as 8 percent and trimmed its 2013 capital spending plans. Bank of America Corp said revenue fell.
MSCI (NYSE: MSCI - news) 's all-country world equity index, which tracks shares in 45 countries, dipped 0.78 percent to 357.03 points, reversing some of the previous day's sharp gains.
In Europe, the broad FTSEurofirst 300 index extended a three-day losing streak, falling 1.1 percent.
Brent crude shed $1.10 to $98.81, while U.S. crude slipped 99 cents to $88.73.
The benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury note was up 4/32 in price to yield 1.7069 percent.
The yen fell for a second straight day against the dollar and euro on expectations major developed and emerging economies will not voice strong concern over Japan's aggressive monetary easing that has triggered a sharp slide in its currency.
The dollar rose 0.3 percent to 97.83 yen, although it remained below the four-year high of 99.94 yen set on Reuters data last week.
The euro slid from a seven-week high against the dollar, tracking losses in European shares. The euro slipped 0.8 percent to $1.3071.
Spot gold prices rose $22.01 to $1,389.80 an ounce.
