LONDON: European shares ended slightly lower on Thursday after touching a two-month low, with retailers and tech firms under pressure even as commodity shares stabilised.
The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 finished 0.18 percent lower at 1,428.08 points, having touched its lowest level since mid-October.
The FTSEurofirst 300 is down around 6 percent in December, falling after the European Central Bank disappointed markets with only limited stimulus measures earlier this month.
"We think investors are going into 2016 with very little faith in the future," strategists at Barclays said in a note.
"Overseas inflows have moderated considerably ... (and) risk appetite is depressed."
Semiconductor stocks took a hit, with Germany's Aixtron , which provides equipment for the semiconductor industry, falling 41 percent after China's Sanan Optoelectronics slashed its order for new-generation tools.
Chip-maker Ams AG slid nearly 20 percent, meanwhile, after a press report said the company had lost important business from U.S. heavyweight Apple.
Sports retailer Sports Direct was hit hard after it missed forecasts with its first-half results. It was down 11 percent.
Inditex also slipped 0.4 percent despite seeing a strong start to Christmas trading, with shares richly valued. The firm's gross margin also slipped.
Among gainers, Glencore rose 7 percent after the miner and commodities trader announced a cost-cutting programme and new debt reduction forecasts.
Basic resources stocks rose 0.9 percent, boosted by Glencore and by stabilising metals prices. The sector has been at the heart of most of the recent market weakness.
French utility EDF rose 6 percent after it raised its 2015 earnings outlook slightly, even though it said it would book additional charges this year of about 2.3 billion euros ($2.5 bln) after an asset review.
Chemical maker Syngenta rose 3.5 percent after a potential $130 billion merger of Dow Chemical Co and DuPont triggered talk there could be a renewed flurry of takeover bids for European rivals.
Syngenta's stock was boosted after Benzinga reported that ChemChina was said to be considering a purchase of the company.
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