Europe shares ease after ECB rate decision
* FTSEurofirst 300 falls 0.7 pct
* ECB raises rates 25 bps; remarks, U.S. jobs awaited
* Steel producers, energy stocks weigh
By Amanda Cooper
LONDON, July 3 (Reuters) - European shares fell in midday trading on Thursday after the European Central Bank delivered a widely expected rate rise, although the mood was cautious ahead of the bank's press conference and U.S. employment data.
Energy and steel shares were among the top negative weights on the broader market, while banks, usually the most sensitive sector to shifts in interest rates, were mixed.
Credit Agricole (CAGR.PA: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) and Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS.L: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) rose between 2.3 to 3.4 percent, while HSBC (HSBA.L: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) and Credit Suisse (CSGN.VX: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) fell 0.3 to 1.2 percent.
Financial markets had priced in a 25 basis point interest rate rise by the ECB but some analysts had raised the possibility of a 50 basis point increase. Continued...
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