LONDON, Aug 18 — European shares fell today as investors worried about escalating US-China tensions and a resurgence in regional coronavirus cases, knocking shares of growth-sensitive cyclical sectors lower.

The pan-European STOXX 600 index fell 0.5 per cent by 0713 GMT, with banks, energy firms, insurers and automakers falling between 0.8 per cent and 0.9 per cent.

Asian stocks made cautious gains after the Trump administration said it will tighten curbs on China’s Huawei Technologies Co, to crack down on its access to commercially available chips, while ratcheting up tensions with Beijing.

UK-listed miner BHP Group, slipped 2.2 per cent as it reported a 4 per cent drop in annual profit that also missed analysts’ estimate. It also warned that most major world economies except China will have to bear the brunt of a coronavirus-led downturn this year.

Danish Jewellery maker Pandora tumbled 5.9 per cent as it said the number of closed shops increased slightly in August, and the current level of store traffic is "well below” the level before the lockdowns.

Britain’s Marks & Spencer rose 1.8 per cent after it revealed plans to cut a further 7,000 jobs, dealing the latest blow to the beleaguered retail sector from the Covid-19 crisis. — Reuters