RTRS: European shares fall on China move, miners slip
* FTSEurofirst 300 index down 0.2 percent
* Lafarge gains on results, Anglo American joint venture
* J Martins falls as earnings miss forecasts
* For up-to-the minute market news, click on [STXNEWS/EU] By Joanne Frearson
LONDON, Feb 18 (Reuters) - European shares fell on Friday after China raised banks' required reserves for the second time this year to contain inflation pressures, a move that hit mining sector shares, which were among the worst performers.
By 1042 GMT, the pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 .FTEU3 index of top shares was down 0.2 percent at 1,184.78 points after closing at a new 29-month high for the fourth straight day on Thursday following bullish U.S. regional manufacturing data.
"China tightening monetary policy always has a knee-jerk reaction in the mining sector, and that's what's bringing us lower," Joshua Raymond, market strategist at City Index, said.
"With the (China) inflation figure earlier in the week, which was slightly lower than the market had expected, it's obviously going to escalate some fears that potentially metals demand could slow in the near to medium term in reaction to the policy."
China's central bank said on Friday that it would once again raise lenders' required reserves by 50 basis points. [ID:nBJA002455]
Miners tracked copper lower MCU3=LX on worries about further monetary tightening in China, with the STOXX Europe 600 Basic Resources .SXPP down 0.7 percent.
Anglo American slipped 2.6 percent as traders said investors were taking profits after the world's fourth-largest diversified miner, posted better-than-expected results, although Liberum Capital said "a small negative is a slightly stingy dividend." [ID:nLDE71H091]
The miner also said it is to move its Tarmac UK aggregates and cement business into a joint venture with Lafarge (LAFP.PA) to create a UK construction materials combine. [ID:nLDE71H07J]
France's Lafarge rose 4.6 percent on the joint-venture move and after the cement maker predicted stronger demand in its markets this year thanks to fast economic growth in emerging countries. [ID:nLDE71H04G]
Oil stocks reversed earlier rises after Brent crude prices LCOc1 pared gains on the China move, with the STOXX Europe 600 Oil & Gas .SXEP down 0.1 percent.
Investors were also cautious following further political unrest in the oil-producing Middle East as people across the region have protested against governments. [ID:nLDE71G28W]
