* FTSEurofirst 300 index slips 0.1 percent
* Miners higher on China manufacturing data
* Serco drops on UK govt reprimand
By Joanne Frearson
LONDON, Nov 1 (Reuters) - European shares edged lower on Monday, reversing earlier gains as investors took a cautious stance ahead of Wednesday's announcement on U.S. monetary policy, with risk-sensitive banks the major fallers.
Losses were limited as the market got some support from the mining sector after strong Chinese data showed good demand for metals. Xstrata, Kazakhmys and Lonmin gained 1.2 to 2.4 percent.
By 1242 GMT, the pan-European FTSEurofirst index of top shares was down 0.1 percent at 1,085.60 points after being as high as 1,094.74.
"Stocks initially benefitted from the Chinese manufacturing data," Heino Ruland, strategist at Ruland Research in Frankfurt, said.
"But the market was a lot stronger than anticipated, and investors are now taking profits ahead of the Federal Open Monetary Committee announcement on Wednesday."
Though there is little question in investors' minds the U.S. Federal Reserve will announce more quantitative easing, there is concern about how much it will commit to.
The risk is that the Fed's actions will not justify the huge investment plays put in place in the run-up to the meeting.
Banks, sensitive to changes in the economic environment, featured among the worst performers. Banco Santander, Societe Generale and BNP Paribas fell 0.7 to 2.1 percent.
SERCO HUMBLED
Public services provider Serco Group fell 6.4 percent as it apologised on Monday for upsetting the British government by demanding that suppliers cough up in support of Whitehall's austerity drive.
"The revelations over the weekend of the group's "brutal" letter to suppliers, and its subsequent withdrawal, suggests some reputational damage to the group," Numis said in a note.
Europe's largest low-cost airline, Ryanair, slipped 3.6 percent. It failed to wow investors with an upgrade to its full-year earnings forecast after missing market forecasts for second-quarter net profit.
Mail and express group TNT fell 3.4 percent after the Dutch company posted worse-than-expected results, dragged down by restructuring, pension and other costs in its mail unit.
Back to the upside, Bayer rose 2.8 percent after preliminary study results shortened the odds against its new stroke-prevention drug entering the $12 billion-plus market.
Telenor gained 2.6 percent after Barclays Capital upgraded the Norwegian telecommunications company to "overweight" from "equal weight".
Across Europe, Britain's FTSE 100 was flat, Germany's DAX rose 0.2 percent and France's CAC 40 slipped 0.3 percent.
Portugal's PSI 20 index gained 0.8 percent after the minority Socialist government and opposition Social Democrats (PSD) reached agreement on the 2011 budget on Saturday, averting a political crisis in one of the euro zone's financially weakest members.
(Editing by David Hulmes)