European shares slide more than 1% as bank stocks crumble

By Pranav Kashyap and Shashwat Chauhan

(Reuters) -Europe's STOXX 600 closed more than 1% lower on Thursday, with banks leading the sell-off after Societe Generale cut a key target for its French retail division and the Bank of England lowered interest rates.

The pan-European STOXX 600 index finished down 1.2% after touching a two-week high in the previous session.

The banking sector dropped 4.5%, its biggest single-day decline since March 2023, when the sector was rocked by the collapse of Credit Suisse and concerns over the stability of U.S. regional banks.

Societe Generale tumbled almost 9% after the lender cut its guidance for its French retail net interest income, overshadowing a quarterly earnings beat.

Italy's banks-heavy benchmark index dropped 2.7%, while the Spanish benchmark shed 1.9%.

Monetary policy was in focus as the Bank of England cut interest rates from a 16-year high after a tight vote by its policymakers, who were split over whether inflationary pressures had eased sufficiently.

"The move comes despite some recent evidence of stickiness in services inflation and wages. That was reflected in the statement with (BoE Governor Andrew) Bailey providing no guidance on when we can expect further easing," said Matthew Landon, global market strategist at J.P. Morgan Private Bank.

"This is similar to the hawkish cut that we got from European Central Bank back in June."

Britain's blue-chip FTSE 100 closed 1% lower, shrugging off initial gains, with HSBC sliding 6.5%.

Lower rates could weigh on interest margins, a key source of income for lenders.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said on Wednesday interest rates could be cut as soon as September if the U.S. economy follows its expected path.

Germany's benchmark index slipped 2.3%, with BMW dropping 3.1% after the automaker reported a lower than expected profit margin in its core automotive business during the second quarter.

On the economic data front, euro zone manufacturing activity remained mired in contraction in July. The Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) held at June's 45.8 in July. Germany's manufacturing sector continued its downturn, falling to 43.2 in July from 43.5 in June.

Among other notable stock moves, Rolls-Royce surged 7% after the British aero engine maker said it would pay a dividend for the first time since the pandemic and raised its 2024 profit and cash flow forecasts.

Worldline tumbled 15.3%, hitting an all-time low after the French payment technology group cut its 2024 outlook, citing a sharp decline in consumption trends across Europe and uncertainty about a potential recovery.

(Reporting by Pranav Kashyap and Shashwat Chauhan in Bengaluru; Editing by Nivedita Bhattacharjee and Mark Potter)