Major stock markets in Europe finished the trading session on Thursday mostly flat after the European Central Bank said it was keeping key interest rates and its asset purchase program unchanged. ECB's President Christine Lagarde stated that economic activity in the Eurozone is expected to accelerate in the second half of 2021.

The FTSE 100 was up 0.10% at the closing bell. Auto Trader Group plc jumped 7.17%. The DAX was flat, with Infineon Technologies AG being the best performer and Siemens Energy AG was the worst. The CAC 40 slid 0.26%, as Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield SE decreased 2.24%.

The euro was down 0.12% against the dollar at 5:29 pm CET, changing hands for $1.21652. The pound rose 0.20% at the same time to $1.41477.