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European stocks closed lower on Tuesday as traders took a cautious position ahead of the European Central Bank meeting on Thursday.

The pan-European Stoxx 600 provisionally ended the session down by about 0.5%, with chemicals firms falling 1.1% to lead the losses as most sectors and major bourses dipped into negative territory.

The ECB meeting comes amid a recent spike in euro zone inflation and an uptick in economic indicators, leading some market watchers to anticipate a more hawkish tone from the central bank on Thursday.

The lackluster sentiment in Europe broke away slightly from more positive trade in Asia-Pacific. Shares in the region were mostly higher on Tuesday, as data showed China’s August trade data came in above expectations.

China’s exports jumped 25.6% year-over-year in August, customs data showed Tuesday — above expectations for a 17.1% rise by analysts in a Reuters poll.

On the data front in Europe, Germany’s ZEW survey of economic sentiment for September showed investor morale falling to 26.5 points from 40.4 in August, short of a Reuters forecast of 30.0.

In terms of individual share price movement, U.K. retailer Marks and Spencer climbed 3.3% toward the top of the Stoxx 600 after UBS upgraded the stock and raised its price target.

Reference: CNBC