LONDON: Dread over higher global barriers to trade kept a lid on European stock markets on Wednesday, with little other company and economic news to provide relief from rising protectionism which has hit equity markets hard.Europe's STOXX 600 fell 0.3 per cent by 0725 GMT, with autos stocks again the worst performers, falling 0.9 per cent and driving Germany's DAX down 0.5 per cent as BMW , Volkswagen and Daimler declined.The pan-European index hit its lowest since April 12 while the autos sector, a prominent target of higher US tariffs, neared its lowest in ten months.Energy stocks helped limit losses, rising 1 per cent as crude prices climbed on supply disruption in Canada and after US officials told importers to stop buying Iranian crude from November.Shares in takeover target IWG, the British workspace firm, fell 4.1 per cent after it warned on profit, blaming the cost of opening new space and a weak performance in Britain.Traders said the takeover interest from private equity firms Terra Firma and TDR Capital among others were supporting the stock despite the profit warning.With economic and company news thin on the ground, broker recommendations drove some big moves.Imerys shares jumped 6.4 per cent to the top of the STOXX 600 after analysts at Exane BNP Paribas upgraded the mineral extracting and processing company to "outperform" from "neutral".Shares in French oil storage and distribution company Rubis fell 5 per cent after Berenberg cut the stock to "hold" from "buy.Czech utility CEZ traded ex-dividend, down 5.3 per cent.