RRS leads declines in mining sector

European equities markets were lower Tuesday, hurt by new data showing that consumer confidence in the United States fell in July as the Conference Board said it’s confidence index was at 46.6 in July, down from 49.3 in June.

The FTSE 100 was down 1.25 percent to 4,528.84 in London, while the FTSE 250 dropped 1.85 percent to 7,731.16.

The mining sector was lower, with miners taking all five top spots on the losers board on the 100, led by Randgold Resources (LSE: RRS; NAS: GOLD) with a decline of 8.65 percent, while Eurasian Natural Resources (LSE: ENRC) fell 6.85 percent, Kazakhmys (LSE: KAZ) was down 6.79 percent, Xstrata (LSE: XTA) and Antofagasta ( LSE: ANTO) dropped 6.51 percent.

Most retailers were also lower, but Marks & Spencer (LSE: MKS) added 1.52 percent and Next (LSE: NXT) was up 1.75 percent.

Software maker Sage Group (LSE: SGE) was the biggest gainer on the 100 as it added 3.4 percent on the session.

The FTSE Eurofirst 300 was 0.96 percent lower to 902.85 while the CAC-40 was down 1.23 percent to 3,330.97 and the Dax dropped 1.46 percent to 5,174.74, but the IBEX added 0.68 percent to 10,664.

Lagardere (Euronext: MMB) was the top winner on the CAC-40 for the second day in a row, adding 5.34 percent.

Over on the Dax, banks managed to contribute both the biggest gain and the biggest loss of the session as Commerzbank (FWB: CBK) added 2.53 percent but Deutsche Bank (FWB: DBK; NYSE: DB) was down 11.42 percent.

Meanwhile, banks fared poorly on the CAC-40, where BNP Paribas (Euronext: BNP; TYO: 8665) was down 5.07 percent for the index’s biggest decline on the session while Societe Generale (Euronext: GLE) dropped 2.44 percent.

Most Asia-Pacific region markets, on the other hand, were higher on the session, although in Tokyo the Nikkei 225 was down 0.01 percent to 10,087.26 and the Mothers market dropped 1.06 percent to 451.05 even as the Topix index added 0.2 percent to 930.13.

The steel sector was up as JFE Holdings (TYO: 5411) added 7.3 percent on a forecast that it will manage a full-year gain even though it posted a loss for the quarter on reduced demand.

Electronics group Hitachi (TYO: 6501) was down 3.6 percent on disappointing quarterly results.

Shares related to the semiconductors sector declined as chip-making equipment tester Advantest (TYO: 6857) dropped 2.1 percent and Tokyo Electron (TYO: 8035) was down 2.3 percent.

Elsewhere in the region the Shanghai Composite was up 0.09 percent to 3,438.37 while the Kospi added 0.13 percent to 1,526.03 and in Australia the Sydney Ordinaries gained 0.63 percent to 4,174 and the S&P/ASX200 was 0.72 percent higher to 4,169.5.

The Taiex added 1.62 percent to 7,142.63 while the Hang Seng and Straits Times Index each gained 1.84 percent, to 20,624.54 and 2,624.04 respectively.

In India, the Sensex dropped 0.28 percent to 15,331.94.

The decline in US consumer confidence hurt Wall Street, as did more negative quarterly reports.

At nearly 1:30 p.m. in New York, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was 0.59 percent lower to 9,055.15 while the Nasdaq Composite was down 0.26 percent to 1,962.72 and the S&P 500 had dropped 0.75 percent to 974.8.

Office supply retailer Office Depot (NYSE: ODP) was down 17.76 percent in early afternoon trade after reporting negative quarterly figures, while US Steel (NYSE: X) dropped 2.81 percent on its second consecutive quarterly loss and statement that while orders are up, it expects a loss in the third quarter as well.

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