(MENAFN- FxPro) European stocks were lower on Tuesday, as markets in Germany and the U.K. re-opened after a holiday on Monday and as concerns Greek debt concerns persisted.
During European morning trade, the EURO STOXX 50 retreated 0.95%, France's CAC 40 fell 0.19%, while Germany's DAX 30 slid 0.34%.
European equities remained under pressure as the prospect of a Greek default continued to weigh.
Athens has warned that the country would be unable to make a ‚¬305 million payment to the International Monetary Fund due on June 5 if a cash-for-reforms deal with its international lenders is not reached by then.
Financial stocks were mixed, as French lenders BNP Paribas (PARIS:BNPP) and Societe Generale (PARIS:SOGN) rose 0.21% and 0.27%, while Germany's Commerzbank (XETRA:CBKG) and Deutsche Bank (XETRA:DBKGn) eased 0.03% and 0.07%.
Among peripheral lenders, Intesa Sanpaolo (MILAN:ISP) fell 0.24% and Unicredit (MILAN:CRDI) edged up 0.16% in Italy, while Banco Santander (MADRID:SAN) added 0.24% and BBVA (MADRID:BBVA) dropped 0.80% in Spain.
Elsewhere, EDF (PARIS:EDF) slipped 0.24% amid ongoing reports the French utilities company has offered about ‚¬2 billion for the reactor businesses of Areva SA, the troubled French builder of atomic plants.
In London, FTSE 100 fell 0.22%, weighed by sharp losses in the financial sector.
Shares in Lloyds Banking (LONDON:LLOY) lost 1.03% and Barclays (LONDON:BARC) tumbled 1.10%, while the Royal Bank of Scotland (LONDON:RBS) plummeted 1.15%, leading losses on the index. HSBC Holdings (LONDON:HSBA) overperformed on the other hand, climbing 0.56%.
In the mining sector, stocks were mixed. Glencore Xstrata (LONDON:GLEN) shares slipped 0.12% and Fresnillo (LONDON:FRES) dropped 0.52%, while Bhp Billiton (LONDON:BLT) and Rio Tinto (LONDON:RIO) gained 0.18% and 0.56% respectively.
Meanwhile, Ryanair Hldgs (LONDON:RYA) saw shares surge 3.66% after the discount carrier said annual profit climbed and forecast an increase in the following year. easyJet Plc (LONDON:EZJ) shares rallied 1.51% following the news.
In the U.S., equity markets pointed to a lower open. The Dow Jones Industrial Average futures pointed to a 0.18% fall, S&P 500 futures signaled a 0.21% loss, while the Nasdaq 100 futures indicated a 0.24% decline.
Later in the day, the U.S. was to release reports on durable goods orders and consumer confidence.
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