European stocks trim losses after US retail sales

PARIS, May 13 (Reuters) - European stocks trimmed losses after data showed sales at U.S. retailers weakened modestly in April, but outside the auto sector, showed more resiliency than many analysts had anticipated.

At 1236 GMT, the FTSEurofirst 300 index of top European shares was down 0.05 percent at 1,345.55 points.

The U.S. Commerce Department said overall retail sales declined 0.2 percent to a seasonally adjusted $378.1 billion, after a 0.2 percent rise in March. That was slightly more than the 0.1 percent decrease that economists surveyed by Reuters had forecast for sales in April.

But excluding autos, April sales were up 0.5 percent after a 0.4 percent March pickup - significantly better than the 0.2 percent sales increase that had been anticipated.

(Reporting by Blaise Robinson)