Home Business & Finance Markets U.S. U.K. Europe Asia Markets News Hot Stocks Economy Bonds News Advances/Declines Most Actives Indices Calendars Dea

LONDON, Sept 3 (Reuters) - European shares slipped in choppy trade early on Wednesday as banking and mining stocks weighed heavily on the market.

At 0806 GMT, the FTSEurofirst 300 index of top European shares was down 0.7 percent at 1,191.72 points after falling as much as 1,187.83. The index is down 21 percent so far this year.

Barclays , HBOS , Royal Bank of Scotland , Lloyds TSB and Standard Chartered Bank fell between 1.1 and 4.1 percent.

Shares in French bank Natixis were down 3.6 percent after newspaper Les Echos reported that the bank could set its rights issue price at below 3 euros a share.

Natixis has declined to comment on the situation.

(Reporting by Atul Prakash)