On Thursday, the STOXX 50 saw a 0.5% increase, while the STOXX 600 climbed by 0.4%, marking a modest continuation of gains from the morning session. This occurred as investors processed the European Central Bank's (ECB) monetary policy announcement. As anticipated, the ECB opted to maintain current interest rates and upheld its guidance regarding future rate paths, reaffirming its data-dependent, meeting-by-meeting strategy. The central bank also updated its growth and inflation forecasts for 2026. Despite these revisions, the new projections do not provide substantial reasons to alter current rates. During her regular press conference, President Christine Lagarde remarked that inflation has stayed within a "narrow range" since the spring. Moreover, indicators of underlying inflation have remained relatively stable and continue to align with the 2% target.