Banks, miners weigh on Europe; Siemens, KPN off
MADRID (MarketWatch) — European stock markets fell on Tuesday with banks and miners leading the downside and investors also fretted after euro-zone finance ministers reportedly rejecting an offer from private bondholders over Greek debt. The Stoxx Europe 600 index fell 0.5% to 255.63. Shares of KPN NV fell 7% after reporting sharply lower net profit and cutting its 2012 outlook. The German DAX 30 index fell 0.8% to 6,387.89, led by a 3% loss for heavyweight Siemens AG , which reported a drop in fiscal first-quarter profit. The French CAC 40 index fell 0.6% to 3,319.33, led by STMicroelectronics NV , which late the prior day said it swung to a fourth-quarter loss. The FTSE 100 index fell 0.5% to 5,755.95, led by miners and banks, such as Barclays PLC , down 1.8% and BHP Billiton PLC , down 1.2%.
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