* FTSEurofirst 300 falls 0.5 pct; down for 3rd session
* Miners among top decliners on growth concerns
* Investors await more data for near-term market direction
* For up-to-the-minute market news, click on []
By Atul Prakash
LONDON, Sept 16 (Reuters) - European shares fell for a third
straight day on Thursday, with disappointing economic numbers in
the previous session raising concerns about the sustainability
of the recent equities rally to four-month highs.
Sentiment worsened further after figures showed British
retail sales volumes fell last month for the first time since
January after drops in sales of food, fuel, clothes and
household goods. []
At 0837 GMT, the FTSEurofirst 300 <> index of top
European shares was down 0.5 percent at 1,079.20 points, after
ending 0.3 percent lower on Wednesday on a report showing a
measure of New York state business conditions slipped to the
lowest in more than a year.
"We are still lacking a degree of direction and could see
the market remaining relatively quiet," said Keith Bowman,
equity analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown.
"We certainly remain very data sensitive. Yesterday's U.S.
figures were a little disappointing, but on balance, economic
numbers are probably seen as still supportive."
U.S. Federal Reserve data also showed on Wednesday that
industrial output rose at a slower pace in August, suggesting
that the economy was cooling, but not installing.
Investors awaited U.S. weekly data on first-time claims for
jobless benefits for the week ended Sept. 11 and U.S. producer
price numbers, both due at 1230 GMT.
Miners were among the top decliners as concerns about global
economic reovery raised fresh questions about demand for raw
materials. Anglo American <AAL.L>, Antofagasta <ANTO.L>, Rio
Tinto <RIO.L> and Xstrata <XTA.L> fell 0.2 to 1.1 percent.
BHP Billiton was down 0.4 percent. The Globe and Mail
reported on its web site that Potash Corp <POT.TO> is trying to
put together a consortium led by China to back a management
buyout to trump BHP Billiton's $38.6 billion hostile offer.
[]
However, industrial goods and services shares were in
demand, with the sector index <.SXNP> rising 0.4 percent, led
higher by Siemens AG <SIEGn.DE>.
Siemens jumped 3.3 percent after news that the company and
South Korea's GS Engineering & Construction <006360.KS> had
jointly won orders to build power plants in Oman from a group
led by GDF Suez <GSZ.PA>.
ABB <ABBN.VX>, Schneider Electric <SCHN.PA> and Adecco
<ADEN.VX> gained 0.9 to 2 percent.
Kingfisher <KGF.L>, Europe's biggest home improvement
retailer, rose 1.1 percent as it beat first-half profit
forecasts, helped by cost-cutting and business improvements that
it said would help it to cope with a tough consumer outlook.
"The interim dividend was maintained with FY dividend likely
to grow in line with adjusted earnings. The consumer outlook
remains fragile, but the shares are likely to react positively,"
Investec said in a research note.
Ericsson <ERICb.ST> fell as much as 3 percent, with traders
citing market talk that the company was guiding analysts for
lower results. An Ericsson spokesman said the company does not
give outlooks. []
Across Europe, the FTSE 100 <>, Germany's DAX <>
and France's CAC 40 <> fell 0.1 to 0.4 percent.
(Editing by Mike Nesbit)
