Europe shares fall as HSBC weighs, France protests keep investors wary

European equities edged lower on Tuesday, with the STOXX 600 down 0.2% at 639.64 points by 0805 GMT, according to Business Recorder. The retreat followed a near 0.8% rise on Monday, as a weaker earnings update from HSBC pressured regional banking shares.

HSBC lost 6.9% after revenue fell short of expectations, partly reflecting slower expansion in its wealth business, and the European bank index dropped 1.3%. France’s continuing protests also weighed on confidence: student leaders said demonstrations would continue despite government concessions on education, while concerns grew about wider unrest and economic harm. French equities had already fallen more than 2% last week; separately, Novartis climbed 3.1% after raising its full-year core operating income outlook.