European stocks were little changed as better-than-estimated U.S. retail sales data offset investor speculation that this year's rally has overshot the outlook for company earnings.

Stocks pared losses as a Commerce Department report showed U.S. retail sales climbed 0.6 percent in May, exceeding the 0.4 percent forecast by economists in a survey.

The World Bank said in a report that the global economy will expand 2.2 percent this year, less than a January forecast for 2.4 percent growth and slower than last year's 2.3 percent. It lowered its projection for developing economies and said the euro area's gross domestic product will fall 0.6 percent.

National benchmark indexes fell in 11 of the 18 western-European markets. The U.K.'s FTSE 100 added 0.1 percent, France's CAC 40 rose 0.1 percent, while Germany's DAX lost 0.6 percent.

RBS fell 3.3 percent to 315 pence after Hester said he is resigning later this year at the board's request as the state-controlled British bank prepares for privatization.

Home Retail tumbled 9 percent to 131.1 pence after saying it expects consumer spending to remain subdued this year. Same-store sales at Argos stores rose 1.9 percent in the 13 weeks ended June 1, missing the 3 percent-gain estimated by analysts in a survey.

Rhoen-Klinikum gained 6.7 percent to 17.73 euros as shareholders abolished a clause requiring a majority of 90 percent of capital represented at its annual meetings to approve decisions. Last year's takeover bid from Fresenius SE failed to clear the threshold after rival Asklepios Kliniken GmbH bought a stake.

U.S. stock futures erased losses as a bigger-than-forecast rise in retail sales offset a cut in the World Bank's global growth forecast.

Global Stocks:

Nikkei 12,445.38 -843.94 -6.35%

Hang Seng 20,887.04 -467.62 -2.19%

Shanghai Composite 2,148.36 -62.54 -2.83%

FTSE 6,252.12 -47.33 -0.75%

CAC 3,769.46 -24.24 -0.64%

DAX 8,029.58 -113.69 -1.40%

Crude oil $95.59 -0.30%

Gold $1379.00 - 0.93%

Upgrades:

Downgrades:

Other:

Walt Disney (DIS) initiated with a Neutral at Sterne Agee

Boeing (BA) initiated with a Overweight at Morgan Stanley

American Express (AXP) initiated with Perform at Oppenheimer

European stocks fell to a seven-week low, following a selloff in Asian equities, as investors speculated this year's rally has overshot the earnings outlook amid concern that central banks may pare stimulus measures. U.S. futures and Asian shares also declined.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Index slipped 1.4 percent to 286.57 at 10:13 a.m. in London, heading for its worst weekly decline in a year. The gauge has lost 7.7 percent since Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke said May 22 that the central bank may pare its quantitative easing if the U.S. economy improves sustainably.

The World Bank said in a report that the global economy will expand 2.2 percent this year, less than a January forecast for 2.4 percent growth and slower than last year's 2.3 percent. It lowered its projection for developing economies and said the euro area's gross domestic product will fall 0.6 percent.

U.S. retail sales probably increased 0.4 percent in May, following a 0.1 percent gain a month earlier, economists said before a report at 8:30 a.m. in Washington.

Home Retail tumbled 10 percent to 129.4 pence, the most since May 2012, after saying it expects consumer spending to remain subdued this year. Same-store sales at Argos stores rose 1.9 percent in the 13 weeks ended June 1, missing the 3 percent-gain estimated by analysts.

France Telecom SA declined 1.2 percent to 7.38 euros after French Finance Minister Pierre Moscovici said its board should meet "as soon as possible" to discuss the consequences of CEO Stephane Richard being charged in a probe dating to when he was chief of staff for then-Finance Minister Christine Lagarde.

Rhoen-Klinikum gained 12 percent to 18.60 euros, its biggest advance since April 2012, as shareholders abolished a clause requiring a majority of 90 percent of capital represented at its annual meetings to approve decisions. Last year's takeover bid from Fresenius SE failed to clear the threshold after rival Asklepios Kliniken GmbH bought a stake.

FTSE 100 6,224.44 -75.01 -1.19%

CAC 40 3,763.39 -30.31 -0.80%

DAX 8,007.39 -135.88 -1.67%

Emerging-market stocks slid to a 10-month low, led by Chinese and Thai companies, after the World Bank cut its global growth forecast and investors weighed prospects for monetary stimulus. China's stocks fell after a three-day holiday, dragging the benchmark index to a six-month low, as government reports showed industrial production and exports trailed economists' estimates.

Nikkei 225 12,445.38 -843.94 -6.35%

Hang Seng 20,811.94 -542.72 -2.54%

S&P/ASX 200 4,695.8 -28.65 -0.61%

Shanghai Composite 2,148.36 -62.54 -2.83%

PetroChina Co. and China Construction Bank Corp. paced declines on the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index, which was poised to enter a bear market Advanced Info Service Pcl, Thailand's biggest mobile-phone operator, sank 5 percent.

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd dropped for a sixth day in Seoul.

Nikkei 225 -0,21 -28,30 13,289.32%

Hang Seng 21,354.66 -260,43 -1,20%

S & P / ASX 200 4,724.5 -32,56 -0,68%

Shanghai Composite -1,39 -31,21 2,210.9%

FTSE 100 6,299.45 -40.63 -0.64%

CAC 40 3,793.7 -16.86 -0.44%

DAX 8,143.27 -79.19 -0.96%

DJIA 14,995.20 -126.79 -0.84%

S&P 500 1,614.30 -11.83 -0.73%

NASDAQ 3,400.43 -36.52 -1.06%