Rate-hike fears continue to weigh on European shares

European Central Bank is expected to hike its key lending rate by 50 basis points, or half a percentage point, next week

The European Central Bank is expected to hike its key lending rate by 50 basis points.

European shares ended lower, with property stocks leading the falls, as investors grew increasingly worried about the prospects of interest rates remaining higher for longer.

The real estate sector dropped by more than 3% to a more-than two-month low.