GLOBAL MARKETS-Stocks dip on earnings and growth worries; dollar rises

* Wall Street drifts lower on mixed earnings reports

* U.S (Other OTC: UBGXF - news) . housing starts up more than expected in June

* Brexit uncertainty prompts IMF to cut global growth forecasts

* U.S. Treasury debt prices advance as risk tolerance slides

* Oil slips ahead of U.S. stockpile data (Updates with U.S. afternoon trading)

By Saqib Iqbal Ahmed

NEW YORK, July 19 (Reuters) - The recent rally in global equity prices faltered on Tuesday as investors pondered some disappointing earnings reports and signs that Britain's decision to leave the EU could hurt other economies, while the U.S. dollar climbed to a four-month high.

Prices for U.S. Treasury debt, considered a safe-haven asset, rose as risk appetite soured following declines in stocks. Oil prices slipped, pressured by the stronger U.S. dollar.

The dollar index, which tracks the greenback against six major currencies, rose to its highest level since March 10 to 97.148. The U.S. dollar rose on a combination of economic news from the U.S. and Europe, with the euro dipping to a three-week low against the dollar of $1.0998.

Germany's ZEW economic sentiment indicator plunged to its lowest level since late 2012 in its first reading since the Brexit vote. U.S. data, however, underpinned a theme of strength in the economy, with housing starts rising more than expected in June.

Also weighing on sentiment was the International Monetary Fund's cut to its global growth forecasts for the next two years due to uncertainty over Britain's looming exit from the European Union.

"Today's U.S. data was stronger and any time you get a sentiment number out of Germany that is worse than expected, that combination is going to give the dollar a little bit of a push against the euro," said Scott Wren, senior global equity strategist at Wells Fargo Investment Institute in St. Louis.

Investors, however, also were anxiously watching corporate results in the thick of the second-quarter earnings season and a mixed bag of reports dented optimism.

Netflix (Xetra: 552484 - news) shares slumped 14 percent after weak earnings late on Monday. Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS-PB - news) dropped 1.6 percent as its profit beat wasn't considered as impressive as those of its peers.

"I think we are due for a period for digestion, perhaps a sideways trending market, as we let earnings catch up to the price appreciation from the past couple of weeks," said Terry Sandven, chief equities strategist at U.S. Bank Wealth Management.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 8.46 points, or 0.05 percent, to 18,541.51, the S&P 500 lost 5.21 points, or 0.24 percent, to 2,161.68 and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 21.40 points, or 0.42 percent, to 5,034.38.

The MSCI world equity index, which tracks shares in 45 nations, was down 0.38 percent.

European shares touched a one-week low on Tuesday as weak earnings updates from Ericsson and AkzoNobel weighed on markets. Europe's broad FTSEurofirst 300 index closed down 0.44 pct to 1,332.21.

Oil prices slipped as the rallying dollar and a global fuel glut offset forecasts for a ninth straight weekly drop in U.S. crude stockpiles.

Brent crude settled down 30 cents, or 0.64 percent, at $46.66 a barrel. U.S. crude ended 59 cents, or 1.30 percent, lower at $44.65.

In bond markets, benchmark U.S. 10-year Treasury notes were up 9/32 in price for a yield of 1.560 percent.

Gold (Other OTC: GDCWF - news) cut some gains from earlier in the session hurt by the stronger dollar but was bolstered by weaker equities. Spot gold prices were up 0.25 percent to $1,331.71 an ounce. (Reporting by Saqib Iqbal Ahmed; additional reporting by Dion Rabouin in New York and Yashaswini Swamynathan in Bengaluru; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Nick Zieminski)