LONDON, March 18 - European shares fell on Thursday, led lower by the banking sector, with Greece's largest lender National Bank slipping after 2009 results came in below forecasts.

The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index of top shares provisionally closed down 0.2 percent at 1,068.93 points, after trading in a range of 1,067.06-1,073.73 points.

"Given the decent run we have seen over the last couple of weeks, markets have become a little exhausted," said Gerhard Schwarz, head of global equity strategy at UniCredit.

"The market is waiting for new significant factors. Over the next few days there might be more scrutinizing over the Greece situation."

Banks took the most points off the index. National Bank of Greece fell 6 percent after it said full-year 2009 net profit fell 40 percent to 923 million euros ($1.3 billion).

Lingering concerns over Greece's economic situation also added to market worries.

Greece's finance minister dismissed a report that his country may soon turn to the IMF for aid and said all options for getting support to escape a debt crisis were still open.

HSBC, Banco Santander, Barclays, BBVA and UBS fell 1.7 to 1.9 percent.

Miners were lower as copper prices fell 0.6 percent on a firmer dollar.

Antofagasta, BHP Billiton, Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation, Rio Tinto and Xstrata slipped 0.7 to 1.8 percent.