Investing.com - European stocks declined on Tuesday, as investors remained cautious ahead of the release of economic sentiment data from Germany and the entire euro zone due later in the day.
During European morning trade, the EURO STOXX 50 lost 0.93%, France’s CAC 40 slid 0.63%, while Germany’s DAX 30 retreated 0.75%.
Financial stocks were broadly lower, as French lenders BNP Paribas (PA:BNPP) and Societe Generale (PA:SOGN) retreated 0.87% and 0.83%, while Germany’s Commerzbank (DE:CBKG) and Deutsche Bank (DE:DBKGn) dropped 0.50% and 0.62%.
Among peripheral lenders, Italy’s Unicredit (MI:CRDI) and Intesa Sanpaolo (MI:ISP) tumbled 0.95% and 0.96% respectively, while Spanish banks BBVA (MC:BBVA) and Banco Santander (MC:SAN) lost 0.86% and 0.93%.
Elsewhere, Schindler Holding AG (SIX:SCHN) saw shares plummet 2.73% after the Swiss elevator manufacturer cut its top-end guidance for revenue growth for 2016.
On the upside, Linde AG (DE:LING) soared 4.90% after Reuters reported that U.S. industrial gases maker Praxair (NYSE:PX) is in talks to buy its German rival.
In London, FTSE 100 slipped 0.22%, as U.K. lenders tracked their European counterparts lower.
Shares in Lloyds Banking (LON:LLOY) lost 0.72% and HSBC Holdings (LON:HSBA) dropped 0.86%, while Barclays (LON:BARC) and the Royal Bank of Scotland (LON:RBS) tumbled 1.05% and 1.11% respectively.
St. James’s Place PLC (LON:SJP) added to losses, with shares plummeting 1.23% after the wealth management business said profits fell slightly over the past six months compared with the same time last year, but said it would increase its dividend by 15%.
Meanwhile, mining stocks were broadly higher on the commodity-heavy index. Glencore (LON:GLEN) climbed 0.93% and Randgold (LON:RRS) ressources jumped 0.94%, while Rio Tinto (LON:RIO) and Antofagasta (LON:ANTO) rallied 2.43% and 2.82% respectively.
In the U.S., equity markets pointed to a lower open. The Dow Jones Industrial Average futures pointed to a 0.16% fall, S&P 500 futures showed a 0.14% loss, while the Nasdaq 100 futures indicated a 0.14% slip.