Beijing: European equities held firm on Thursday as investors shifted into a wait-and-see mode ahead of the European Central Bank's (ECB) upcoming monetary policy announcement. The pan-European STOXX 600 index remained flat at 618.25 points, hovering just below the record high reached on Wednesday. Market performance was largely driven by a mix of corporate earnings in the banking and energy sectors.

According to Yemen News Agency, France's BNP Paribas surged 4.1% following stronger-than-expected Q4 profits. Conversely, Spain's BBVA dropped nearly 4% despite reporting profit growth. Shell shares fell 1.6% after the oil giant's quarterly earnings missed market expectations. The sector rebounded strongly, gaining 2% to lead market recoveries after a volatile start to the week.