Here is how major stock markets outside the United States ended on Tuesday.
Swiss Re rose 2.4 percent to 75.10 Swiss francs after a stock rating upgrade to "overweight" at JP Morgan bank.
The insurance sector was also bolstered by domestic peer Swiss Life which beat market expectations with a six-fold increase in first-half net profits, sending the stock up 0.7 percent to 149.5 Swiss francs.
Investors took money out of mining sectors amid talk that China may take further steps to cool its economy, which has been a key consumer of metals and steel.
The FTSE Eurotop 300 index ended down 0.14 percent at 991.32 points, having risen in 11 of the past 16 sessions.
The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index rose 12.6 points or 0.35 percent to 3,589.4.
Some financial and retail stocks, however, bucked the weaker trend and extended gains on the back of rosy economy data.
The all share index fell 107.85 or 0.96 percent to 11,136.36 points after three days of gains.
The All Gold index closed at 1,853.52 points, down 48.98 or 2.57 percent, while the Industrial index closed at 7,868.94 points, down 3.49 or 0.04 percent.