Major stock markets outside the United States ended on Tuesday.
Energy stocks were the day's standout losers, giving up recent gains as crude oil prices stayed well away from highs reached on Friday. BP and Royal Dutch Shell both dropped 2 percent and Total shed 1.3 percent.
Miners also weighed, with heavyweights Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton dropping 2.4 and 2.8 percent respectively as gold and copper prices fell. The FTSEurofirst 300 index of top European shares closed 0.7 percent lower at 1,271.24 points, having fallen more than 1 percent earlier in the session.
The All Gold index closed at 2,366.24 points, down 74.44 or 3.05 percent, while the Industrial index closed at 20,742.99 points, down 341.36 or 1.62 percent.