European shares fell on Thursday, knocked off fresh 2-1/2 year highs by news that Royal Dutch/Shell cut its oil reserves for the fifth time in just over a year as corporate earnings dominated the day. Shell dropped 1.7 percent in London, with Royal Dutch shedding 1.3 percent in Amsterdam. Technology was also down sharply, blighted by a 13.8 percent slide in French telecoms equipment maker Alcatel which posted quarterly earnings that missed expectations and trimmed its outlook. Shares in rivals Ericsson and Marconi also fell more than the broader stock market. On a brighter note, Carrefour was Europe's top blue-chip gainer, up 2 percent after a board meeting heralded a shake-up at the world's second largest retailer, raising hopes the company was grappling with recent soggy performance at its hypermarkets. The FTSEurofirst 300 index closed off 0.1 percent at 1,072.38 points after hitting a new 2-1/2 year high earlier in the session. The DJ Euro Stoxx 50 index ended down 0.4 percent at 3,010.39 points. --More 0000 Local Time 2100 GMT
