European stocks fell to their lowest level in five weeks, extending their second weekly loss, as investors awaited a referendum that may lead to Crimea’s secession from Ukraine.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Index declined 0.8 percent to 322.03 at 4:33 p.m. in London, its lowest level since Feb. 6. The benchmark gauge has fallen 3.3 percent this week as Russia and Ukraine continued their standoff over Crimea, and China reported worse-than-expected economic data.

“Markets are nervous because we’ve got two catalysts,” Andreas Lipkow, a senior market strategist at Kliegel & Hafner AG in Berlin, said by telephone. “First, we have the Crimean crisis and people are going to be watching the referendum. Second, there are now signs China’s recovery will be more difficult than previously thought. It’s hard to figure out what will happen next, so investors are in a risk-off mode and have become defensive.”

National benchmark indexes fell in 16 of the 18 western European markets today.

FTSE 100 6,527.89 -25.89 -0.40% CAC 40 4,216.37 -34.14 -0.80% DAX 9,056.41 +38.62 +0.43%  

Bouygues dropped 3.1 percent to 30.45 euros. French Industry Minister Arnaud Montebourg told Europe1 radio station that Vivendi, weighing competing offers for SFR, prefers a bid from billionaire Patrick Drahi’s cable holding Altice SA to Bouygues’s offer. Altice jumped 7.4 percent to 30 euros and its Numericable Group SA unit soared 12 percent to 29.50 euros.

Pandora, the Danish maker of charm bracelets, fell 2.9 percent to 348.80 kroner. Funds managed by Danish private-equity firm Axcel, Pewic Holding ApS and Christian Algot Enevoldsen offered 13 million shares in the transaction, according to a statement from JPMorgan, which is managing the sale along with Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Nordea Bank AB. Pandora shares have more than doubled over the past year.

HeidelbergCement AG declined for a third day, dropping 1.9 percent to 59.52 euros. Berenberg Bank cut its rating on construction stocks including the German cement maker to hold from buy, meaning it no longer recommends acquiring the shares. Berenberg cited stock price increases for the downgrade.

Monte dei Paschi added 2 percent to 23.2 euro cents. JC Flowers, a U.S. private-equity firm, is interested in taking a stake in Italy’s third-biggest bank as a long-term investor, Il Messaggero newspaper reported, without citing anyone.

Fresenius SE gained 3.5 percent to 108.65 euros. The health-care company said it will propose a stock split at a May 16 annual general meeting, tripling the number of shares. Holders will get two new shares for every one owned.

Fresenius Medical Care AG advanced 1.5 percent to 48.20 euros. Redburn Partners LLP recommended buying the stock, raising its rating from neutral.

U.S. stock futures fell amid concern that the situation in Ukraine is escalating.

Global markets:

Nikkei 14,327.66 -488.32 -3.30%

Hang Seng 21,539.49 -216.59 -1.00%

Shanghai Composite 2,004.34 -14.77 -0.73%

FTSE 6,527.72 -26.06 -0.40%

CAC 4,209.77 -40.74 -0.96%

DAX 8,991.57 -26.22 -0.29%

Crude oil $99.01 (+0.82%)

Gold $1377.70 (+0.53%).

European stocks fell, heading for a second week of losses, as investors awaited a referendum that may lead to Crimea’s secession from Ukraine. U.S. stock-index futures were little changed, while Asian shares slid.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Index declined 0.5 percent to 322.87 at 9:57 a.m. in London. The benchmark gauge has fallen 3.1 percent this week as Russia and Ukraine continued their standoff over Crimea, and China reported worse-than-expected economic data. Standard & Poor’s 500 Index futures added 0.2 percent. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index dropped 1.7 percent.

Data at 9:55 a.m. New York time may show consumer confidence in the U.S. improved in March. The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan preliminary index rose to 82 this month from 81.6 in February, according to the median estimate in a Bloomberg survey.

HeidelbergCement fell for a third day, dropping 2.7 percent to 59.04 euros. Berenberg downgraded construction stocks including the German company to hold from buy, citing shareprice increases over the past year. A gauge of building-related companies has risen 18 percent in the past 12 months for the fourth biggest gain of the 19 industry groups on the Stoxx 600.

Pandora fell 3.4 percent to 347 kroner. Funds managed by Danish private-equity firm Axcel, Pewic Holding ApS and Christian Algot Enevoldsen offered 13 million shares in the transaction, according to a statement from JPMorgan Chase & Co., which is managing the sale along with Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Nordea Bank AB. Shares in the company more than doubled over the past year.

Mining companies declined as copper headed for its third weekly loss, the longest streak since June, amid concern over growth in China, the world’s biggest consumer of commodities.

Antofagasta Plc, the copper company controlled by Chile’s billionaire Luksic family, fell 0.8 percent to 828.5 pence. Rio Tinto Group slipped 0.8 percent to 3,136 pence.

FTSE 100 6,538.49 -15.29 -0.23 %

CAC 40 4,219.52 -30.99 -0.73 %

DAX 8,980.14 -37.65 -0.42 %

Asian stocks dropped, with a gauge of Chinese shares in Hong Kong flirting with a bear market, after at least four investment banks cut their growth forecasts on the region’s biggest economy. Japan’s Topix Index slid after the yen headed for its longest streak of gains since May.

Nikkei 225 14,327.66 -488.32 -3.30%

S&P/ASX 200 5,329.4 -83.22 -1.54%

Shanghai Composite 2,003.36 -15.75 -0.78%

BHP Billiton Ltd., a mining company that gets about 29 percent of sales from China, slipped 2 percent in Sydney.

Toyota Motor Corp., a carmaker that counts North America as its biggest market, fell 3 percent in Tokyo.

Olam International Ltd. surged 11 percent in Singapore after a unit of Temasek Holdings Pte. offered to buy the rest of the commodity trader in a deal valued at S$5.3 billion ($4.2 billion).