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According to Reuters, there was some anxiety before the release of important economic data, as well as worries about the banking sector in peripheral euro zone countries.
The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 decreased by 0.9 per cent at 1,064.43 points, but the biggest fallers were the financial organisations as the STOXX Europe 600 banking index was down by 1.5 per cent.
Bernard McAlinden, investment strategist at NCB Stockbrokers in Dublin, observed that the markets are in need of economic information - and there is some coming from the US, which should help to measure the pace of the financial recovery - in order for them to break higher.
He added: "There are tentative signs that the rate of slowing in the global economy is running its course but markets are still nervous about that."
Posted by Chris Weaver
