European shares and the euro edged lower on Thursday as mixed corporate earnings reports from a number of bellwethers highlighted the impact of Europe's debt crisis, though the retreat was cushioned by growing expectation that central banks could be prompted into further stimulus moves.

The chances of Greece leaving the euro in the next 12-18 months have risen to about 90 percent, U.S. bank Citi said in a report on Thursday, saying Athens was most likely to quit the single currency within the next two to three quarters.

Investors awaited a raft of results from companies including Amazon (AMZN.O), Colgate-Palmolive (CL.N), Dow Chemical (DOW.N), Kimberly-Clark (KMB.N), 3M (MMM.N), Sprint Nextel (S.N), Starbucks (SBUX.O), United Technologies (UTX.N) and Exxon Mobil (XOM.N).

On the economic front, June durable goods orders and weekly jobless claims are due at 1230 GMT, and pending home sales for June at 1400 GMT.

Visa Inc's (V.N) adjusted profit topped Wall Street estimates, and it raised its full-year earnings forecast for the second time this year, as more people move to card-based payments globally.

Las Vegas Sands Corp (LVS.N), owned by billionaire Sheldon Adelson, posted much worse-than-expected quarterly earnings, hit by lower profits at casinos in its key Asian markets that had previously helped offset flagging U.S. revenue.

United Technologies Corp (UTX.N) has agreed to sell industrial businesses of its Hamilton Sundstrand subsidiary to Carlyle Group LP (CG.O) and BC Partners Ltd for $3.46 billion, the companies said on Wednesday, a deal that will help fund United Tech's largest-ever acquisition.

German conglomerate Siemens (SIEGn.DE) posted a 23 percent drop in quarterly new orders, steeper than expected, as customers wary of Europe's debt crisis increasingly refrained from making investments.

Investment research firm Morningstar Inc (MORN.O) reported a slight increase in quarterly profit on a strong performance from its data and analysis unit, and said it is taking steps to bring down costs.

Whole Foods Market Inc (WFM.O) reported quarterly profit that topped Wall Street's view after sales at established stores defied the softening U.S. economy, sending the upscale grocer's shares surging 11.5 percent in an after-hours relief rally.

Crocs Inc (CROX.O) reported a quarterly profit that beat Wall Street expectations helped by higher gross margins and growth in Asia, and the shoe maker forecast strong full-year earnings.

Brokerage and investment bank Raymond James Financial Inc (RJF.N) said on Wednesday its third-quarter earnings grew by nearly two-thirds, driven by its April acquisition of Morgan Keegan, but that results still fell short of analyst expectations.

The S&P 500 fell for a fourth day and the Nasdaq dropped on Wednesday after a rare earnings stumble from Apple, while strong results from Boeing and Caterpillar lifted the Dow.

The Dow Jones industrial average .DJI rose 58.73 points, or 0.47 percent, at 12,676.05. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index .SPX was down 0.42 point, or 0.03 percent, at 1,337.89. The Nasdaq Composite Index .IXIC was down 8.75 points, or 0.31 percent, at 2,854.24.

(Reporting by Blaise Robinson; Editing by John Stonestreet)

• A Permanent Economic Emergency