12:11 PM EDT, 07/18/2024 (MT Newswires) -- The European stock markets closed mixed in Thursday trading as The Stoxx Europe 600 was off 0.08%, the The Swiss Market Index dropped 0.70%, France's CAC rose 0.21%, the FTSE in London gained 0.21%, and Germany's DAX closed 0.45% lower.

The European Central Bank left interest rates unchanged Thursday, keeping the rates on the main refinancing operations, the marginal lending facility, and the deposit facility at 4.25%, 4.50% and 3.75% respectively.

"We are determined to ensure that inflation returns to our 2% medium-term target in a timely manner," ECB President Christine Lagarde and ECB Vice President Luis de Guindos said in a statement. "We will keep policy rates sufficiently restrictive for as long as necessary to achieve this aim."

Seasonally adjusted production in construction decreased 0.9% in the euro area and 1.0% in the European Union in May from April, according to Eurostat, the statistical office of the EU. Compared with May 2023, production in construction decreased 2.4% the euro area and 2.5% in the EU.

UK labor market figures "continue to show signs of gradual cooling, with the number of vacancies still falling and unemployment rising," the UK's Office for National Statistics said Thursday. The number of payrolled employees in the UK increased by an estimated 0.2% between April and May and were up 0.9% in May from a year earlier, the ONS reported.

And in corporate news, British financial services company Lloyds Banking Group said Thursday that it has signed a deal with Oaktree Capital Management under which the asset manager's European Private Debt platform will provide Lloyds' buyout fund customers with loans of up to 175 million British pounds ($227.2 million) each.

The companies are planning to deploy up to 1 billion pounds over the next three years out of Oaktree's funds, according to media reports on Thursday.

Shares of UK retailer Frasers led the gainers on the FTSE in London in Thursday trading, rising nearly 9% after it reported adjusted profit before tax rose more than 13% to 544.8 million pounds ($706.7 million) for the year ended April 28.

Finnish telecommunications company Nokia reported Q2 comparable earnings Thursday of 0.06 euro ($0.07) per diluted share, down from 0.07 euro a year earlier. Analysts polled by Capital IQ expected 0.05 euro. Net sales for the quarter ended June 30 were 4.47 billion euros, down from 5.44 billion euros a year earlier. Analysts surveyed by Capital IQ expected 4.73 billion euros.

Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis reported Q2 core earnings Thursday of $1.97 per diluted share, up from $1.67 a year earlier. Four analysts polled by Capital IQ expected $1.86. Net sales for the quarter ended June 30 was $12.51 billion, up from $11.44 billion a year earlier. Analysts surveyed by Capital IQ expected $12.32 billion.