Major stock markets outside the United States ended on Tuesday.
The FTSEurofirst 300 index of top European shares closed 1.3 percent lower at 1,500.47 points. Travel and leisure stocks fell the most, 3.3 percent on the DJ STOXX sector index, with British Airways, Air France-KLM and Lufthansa down after an investment bank predicted weaker premium traffic demand and amid worries about high jet fuel prices.
Defensive stocks such as power utility E.ON and telecommunications operator Telefonica were among the gainers on safe-haven buying, while take-over talk lifted drugs and chemicals group Bayer and miner Rio Tinto.