TREASURIES-Prices gain after weak U.S. data, eyes on Fed

* Yields fall as consumer confidence, retail sales

disappoint

* White House says no decision yet on next Fed chair

* Fed buys $3.70 bln in notes due 2019, 2020

By Karen Brettell and Luciana Lopez

NEW YORK, Sept 13 (Reuters) - Prices for U.S. Treasuries

rose on Friday after weak economic data bolstered the view that

Fed policymakers next week might slow an exit from the

bond-buying program they designed to boost growth in the world's

biggest economy.

Analysts expect the U.S. Federal Reserve to cut its $85

billion per month buying of Treasuries and mortgage-backed

securities at its next policy meeting on Sept. 17 and 18.

But mixed data on the U.S. economy have clouded the outlook,

underscoring the risks of pulling back, or "tapering" the Fed's

quantitative easing stimulus too hard.

Yields on Treasuries hit session lows on Friday after data

showed consumer sentiment fell to a five-month low in September

as mortgage rates rose and Americans grew nervous about tensions

in Syria.

Other data showed that retail sales increased a

weaker-than-expected 0.2 percent last month as Americans cut

back on clothing, building materials and sporting goods.

"We started getting some weak economic data," said Charles

Comiskey, head of Treasuries trading at the Bank of Nova Scotia (Other OTC: BKSHF - news)

in New York.

The White House said it had not yet decided on its pick to

lead the Federal Reserve, after a Japanese newspaper reported

that Lawrence Summers would soon be named. Summers is viewed as

more hawkish and eager to raise interest rates than Fed Vice

Chair Janet Yellen, also seen as a top contender for the job.

"The fact that the Summers story was discredited by the

White House brought people back in to buy the belly of the

curve," Comiskey said.

U.S. benchmark 10-year Treasury notes were last

up 4/32 in price to yield 2.890 percent, from 2.91 percent late

on Thursday. They have fallen from a two-year high of 3.01

percent last Friday.

Thirty-year bonds traded up 7/32 in price to

yield 3.838 percent, from 3.85 percent on Thursday.

The weakening data comes at an awkward time for the Fed. The

U.S. central bank will release the statement from its two-day

meeting on Wednesday. Analysts said they still expected the Fed

to taper, but they were less certain of how much.

"The bigger event will be next week's FOMC meeting where

we're looking for the Fed to announce their tapering plans

somewhere in the area of $10 billion-a-month reduction," said

Sean Murphy, a Treasuries trader at Societe Generale (Paris: FR0000130809 - news) .

The Fed bought $3.70 billion in notes due 2019 and 2020 on

Friday as part of its ongoing purchase program.

Bonds have also gained a bid after the Treasury completed

the sale of $65 billion in new debt to strong demand, in part

because investors unlocked hedges placed ahead of Verizon (NYSE: VZ - news) 's

record-breaking $49 billion bond sale on Wednesday.