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news window)
* Resources, automobile sectors worst performers
* Apple suppliers tumble
* Utilities, real estate benefit from defensive buying
* Italian stocks at highest since 2008
* Intesa Sanpaolo makes bid for UBI Banca
(Updates with closing prices)
By Susan Mathew
Feb 18 (Reuters) - European shares dropped on Tuesday as a
revenue warning from Apple hammered iPhone parts makers and
underlined the impact of the coronavirus outbreak on global
supply chains.
However, the pan-European STOXX 600 index .STOXX ended off
session lows helped by defensive buying as well as merger
activity among Italian banks.
Milan shares .FTMIB closed at their highest in over a
decade as Intesa Sanpaolo's ISP.MI 4.86 billion euro ($5.26
billion) bid for smaller rival UBI Banca UBI.MI sparked hopes
of much-awaited consolidation among other Italian banks.
Italy's banking index .FTIT8300 jumped 1.6% to close at a
1-1/2 year high, with UBI Banca soaring 24%.
Stock markets globally slid on Tuesday after Apple AAPL.O
said it would miss its March-quarter sales outlook due to the
epidemic, which has killed over 1,800 people and forced
businesses to shut operations.
After falling up to 0.9% during the session, the STOXX 600
closed 0.4% lower, retreating from Monday's record highs.
"Investors are clearly very keen to keep buying," said
Connor Campbell, analyst at financial spread better Spreadex.
"It took something like a warning from Apple that investors
weren't willing to ignore."
Shares of AMS AG AMS.S , Dialog Semiconductor DLGS.DE and
STMicroelectronics NV STM.MI , which supply components to
Apple, fell over 1.2%. Other chipmakers also dropped, taking
Europe's technology index .SX8P down 0.7%.
Germany's Infineon IFXGn.DE said it has so far seen only a
minor impact on business from the virus. Its shares were down
2.2%, while Frankfurt's main index .GDAXI fell 0.8%.
Other China-exposed sectors such as automobile .SXAP and
basic materials .SXPP were the worst hit on the day.
Miner BHP Group BHPB.L dropped 1.4% after missing
half-year profit estimates and flagging a risk from the
coronavirus outbreak, while Glencore GLEN.L slid 4.5% after
posting its first annual loss since 2015.
Renault shares RENA.PA slipped 6% after a UBS price target
cut. The company had announced cost cuts last week. lender HSBC Holdings HSBA.L slid 6.6% after it
said it would shed $100 billion in assets and cut 35,000 jobs
over three years as part of a reorganisation. It also said the
coronavirus epidemic had significantly impacted staff and
customers. On the data front, a survey on Tuesday showed German
investor morale deteriorated far more than expected in February
on worries of the outbreak impacting world trade. Manufacturing
PMIs from the eurozone on Friday will be keenly watched for more
insights into the economic fallout from the epidemic.
Defensive sectors such as utilities .SX6P and real estate
.SX86P were among the few gainers.
Among bright spots, food ingredients company Kerry Group
KYGa.I touched an all-time high after saying it hopes to
return its five Chinese factories to full capacity within
weeks.