* FTSEurofirst 300 index finishes 0.7 percent lower
* Mining, energy shares feature among top losers
* Charts signal further declines in the near term
By Atul Prakash
LONDON, May 12 (Reuters) - European share prices mostly ended lower on Thursday and analysts said the market could be prone to further declines as a sell-off in commodities on demand concerns prompted investors to shun mining and energy shares.
A rise in the Euro STOXX 50 volatility index <.V2TX>, one of Europe's main barometers of market sentiment, suggested a fall in investors' appetite for risk, while charts indicated a key stockmarket index might come under more pressure.
The FTSEurofirst 300 <.FTEU3> index of top European shares closed 0.7 percent lower at 1,145.07 points after falling to a low of 1,137.26. The index, which advanced in the previous two sessions, is 2.1 percent higher this year.
Miners bore the brunt of the sell-off, with the STOXX Europe
600 Basic Materials index <.SXPP> down 2 percent, as copper
China lifted bank reserve requirements to contain inflation despite signs of the economy slowing down, while the U.S. economy struggled to gain momentum early in the second quarter, with retail sales posting their smallest rise in nine months in April. [ID:nL3E7GC2W4] [ID:nL3E7GC2W4]
"Equities and commodities are coming down in a correlated way and the markets will remain nervous and volatile for some time to come," said Philippe Gijsels, head of research at BNP Paribas Fortis Global Markets in Brussels.
"It is still too early to tell whether this will be a much welcomed pause or the start of something more severe, but the risks are clearly high."
Energy shares were also hit hard, with the sector index
<.SXEP> falling 1.7 percent following a sharp drop in oil prices
Growing concerns over the pace of economic recovery on the back of soft data from the U.S and China have prompted investors to reduce their exposure to market risk, with worries also over the outlook for inflation and monetary tightening.
"The commodity rout of the past two weeks has become a growth scare, hence the sell-off in stocks," said Frederic Buzare, global head of equity management at Dexia AM, which manages a total of 86.3 billion euros ($122 billion).
"In doubt, the market will price in earnings forecast downgrades, overshadowing the positive impact of lower input costs for companies," he told Reuters.
BEARISH OUTLOOK
Concerns about the euro zone debt crisis remained in the background and analysts said the issue could resurface again. The International Monetary Fund warned the debt crisis could still spread to core euro zone countries and the emerging economies of eastern Europe.
The Euro STOXX 50 <.STOXX50E>, the euro zone's blue chip index, fell 0.9 percent to 2,917.05 points. A dark cloud cover formed on its weekly candlestick chart last week suggested a high risk of a further correction in the next few weeks.
"The index fell below its 50-day moving average and formed a negative crossover in the slow stochastic oscillator and also a bearish divergence with the price action. These signals increase the possibility of a near-term bear market," said Dmytro Bondar, technical analyst at RBS.
However, the index remained supported by a long-term trend line being in effect since June 2010, Bondar said, adding the index could find support at around 2,900, which is also closer to the 50-percent Fibonacci retracement from the Feb-Mar slide.
Telecom shares <.SXKP> fell 0.9 percent in high volumes.
However, softer crude prices helped airlines in anticipation
that fuel costs will fall. Air France-KLM