Automotive and mining stocks lead losses in European markets

European stocks fell on Tuesday, affected by losses in automakers and mining stocks after weak data from China fueled fears of a slowdown in the Chinese economy and while investors await more economic data from the euro zone.

The European Stoxx 600 index fell 0.2 percent, and most of the region’s markets declined.

Automakers and miners fell 1.2 percent and 0.7 percent, respectively, after data showed slower-than-expected growth in industrial production and retail sales, indicating a loss of momentum in the economy at the start of the second quarter.

The telecoms index fell 0.8 percent, with Telecom Italia falling 4.6 percent after a report said a state bank planned to cancel a 19.3 billion euro ($21 billion) offer to buy the company’s landline network.

In Britain, Vodafone fell 3.9 percent after the new group chief, Margherita Della Valle, said it would cut 11,000 jobs over three years to reduce employment and warned of a 1.5 billion euro drop in free cash flow this year.

Swedish video game empresser shares tumbled 11.6 percent, the bottom of the STOXX 600 index, after the company cut its revised EBIT forecast for the full year.

Investors now await a flash estimate of eurozone gross domestic product, Italy’s inflation data for April and a German ZEW institute’s survey of investor sentiment for May later on Tuesday.