Summary European stock markets fell slightly while the euro hit a 14-month low against the dollar.
LONDON (AFP) - European stock markets fell slightly on Tuesday, while the euro hit a 14-month low against the dollar, and the British pound faced more pressure ahead of Scotland s independence referendum.
London s FTSE 100 index of top companies fell by 0.14 percent to stand at 6,825.44 points around midday in the capital.
Frankfurt s DAX 30 dipped 0.06 percent to 9,752.30 points, and in Paris the CAC 40 lost 0.13 percent to 4,469.22 compared with Monday s close.
In foreign exchange, the European single currency fell to $1.2860 -- the lowest level since July 2013. It later rallied to $1.2871, which compared with $1.2895 late in New York on Monday.
The British pound hit a 10-month low of $1.6065 in Asian trading hours. In later European deals, it recovered to $1.6107, which compared with $1.6104 on Monday.
The pound won back some ground against the euro which was at 79.92 pence from 80.07 late on Monday.
"The poor old pound is still under pressure as traders are not brave enough to go bargain-hunting just yet. The possibility of Great Britain breaking up has hit the pound the hardest," said David Madden, analyst at IG trading group.
Traders reacted also to official data showing that Britain s trade deficit worsened in July from the previous month and that the country s industrial output rebounded from June.
Britain s three main political parties united on Tuesday to promise greater powers for Scotland if it rejects independence in next week s referendum, in a last-ditch attempt to head off growing separatist support.
Former Labour prime minister Gordon Brown has taken the lead in the campaign to keep the United Kingdom together after an opinion poll at the weekend put the pro-independence "Yes" camp ahead for the first time before a September 18 vote.
The question of whether Scotland could keep the pound has become a defining issue in the debate.
The euro meanwhile remained under pressure on Tuesday after the European Central Bank last week announced a fresh rate cut and easing measures.
The price of gold fell to $1,255.26 an ounce from $1,259 Monday on the London Bullion Market.
Brent crude oil remained below $100 a barrel, a day after falling under the key level for the first time in more than 14 months against a backdrop of solid supplies and sluggish demand growth.
Dealers were looking ahead to the US open and an expected product launch by Apple on Tuesday.
"The key talking point today is likely to be the launch of the latest products from Apple, the largest component of the S&P 500" index on Wall Street, said Craig Erlam, analyst at Alpari trading group.
"It is widely expected that Apple will unveil the iPhone 6... This is expected to come alongside the launch of the new iWatch which has apparently been in the works for a long time and Apple has not been the first to the market."
