EU STOCKS trim losses after upbeat U.S. data

European stocks ended mixed on Thursday, though they pared intraday sharp losses after U.S. jobs and retail-sales data beat expectations.

The Stoxx Europe 600 index  fell 0.1% to close at 290.51, extending losses into a fourth straight session.

The index has lost 3.5% in June to date, with investors worried central banks will start to scale back stimulus measures, which have been widely credited for the sharp rally earlier in the year.

Germany’s DAX 30 index  dropped 0.6% to 8,095.39, after earlier slipping below the 8,000 level for the first time since early May. ThyssenKrupp AG  lost 2.4% and Siemens AG   fell 1.5%.

France’s CAC 40 index  inched 0.1% higher to 3,797.98, while the U.K.’s FTSE 100 index  added 0.1% to 6,304.63.

Among major movers in the pan-European index, shares of Royal Bank of Scotland Group PLC   dropped 3.3% after the bank said late Wednesday that Chief Executive Stephen Hester will step downat the end of the year.

The broader European stock markets trimmed losses in the afternoon, after both U.S. retail-sales and jobless-claims data beat expectations.

Centrica PLC gained 1% in London after the gas-utility firm bought a 25% stake in a shale-gas deal, marking the first big U.K. name to enter the shale business.

Mining firms also supported the U.K. index, with shares of Rio Tinto PLC  up 2.6% and BHP Billiton PLC 1.8% higher. Metals prices were, however, broadly lower.

Outside the major indexes, Banco Santander SA   lost 0.5% after J.P. Morgan Cazenove cut the Spanish bank to underweight from neutral.

Software AG  dropped 2.9% after Credit Suisse cut the firm to underperform from neutral.

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