By Pranav Kashyap
(Reuters) -European shares moved lower on Monday as investor caution kicked in at the start of a week packed with a slew of economic data from the region, and the focus turned to comments from ECB President Christine Lagarde.
The pan-European STOXX 600 fell 0.4% to 525.86 points, set to drop the most in more than a week if losses hold.
However, the benchmark was set to gain for a third straight month, its longest winning streak in nearly seven months. It was up 2.8% for the quarter.
Real estate stocks were the biggest weight on the index, losing 1.3%
Gains in the oil sector kept losses in check. Oil prices rose on fears of an escalation of the conflict in the Middle East. [O/R]
Basic resources, which rose 1.2%, led sectoral gains as copper prices rose to their highest in four months on demand prospects after a series of stimulus measures from top consumer China.[MET/L]
Investors sold shares out of caution as they awaited a wave of key economic data through the week - including Germany's and Italy's preliminary inflation figures for September due later in the day.
Weaker-than-expected data from the continent last week pointed to slowing economies.
"You've got more signs of stagnating eurozone economic activity and that's probably one of the factors weighing on the European equities, said Elias Haddad, senior markets strategist at Brown Brothers Harriman.
Given that it is the month- and the quarter-end, "You may see portfolio managers selling to rebalance their portfolio. There isn't any fundamental trigger behind the pullback this morning," Haddad said.
Markets will mainly focus on comments from central bank officials. U.S. Federal Reserve's chair Jerome Powell is due to speak at 1755 GMT, while the European Central Bank President Lagarde is due to speak at the European Parliament at 1300 GMT.
The STOXX 600 touched record highs and saw its best week in nearly five months on Friday, on the backdrop of a series of stimulus measures from China to revive its economy.
Meanwhile, Britain's GDP figures for the second quarter showed its economy grew slower than expected. The FTSE was down 0.3%.
Volkswagen (ETR:VOWG_p) fell 2.8% after the German carmaker cut its 2024 guidance.
Stellantis NV (NYSE:STLA) slumped 14% after the French-Italian carmaker slashed its annual guidance, citing a deterioration in global industry dynamics.
Automobile shares fell 3.5%, the most among sectors.
British multinational private equity and venture capital firm 3i (LON:III) Group dropped 3.5% after Shadowfall Capital reportedly took a short bet on the company.