The pan-European Dow Jones Stoxx 600 index (ST:SXXP 231.09, +0.50, +0.22%) inched up 0.2% to 231.15. The index ended 0.5% lower on Wednesday, bringing losses made over the previous three sessions to 2.9% as investors worried about the sustainability of an economic rebound after poor U.S. data on employment. Weekly jobless claims data are due later Thursday and the key nonfarm payrolls report is on Friday. In Europe, data out Thursday showed that euro-zone retail sales fell 0.2% in July after a stable showing in June. Still, Kully Samra, branch director for Charles Schwab U.K., said the stock market is likely more vulnerable to strong growth-driven policy news than economic weakness at this point in the cycle. "A potentially earlier-than-expected higher path for interest rates, especially if the Federal Reserve is forced to combat sharper growth and commensurate inflation expectations with rate hikes," is a key reason for holding this view, he said. The European Central Bank will report its latest decision on interest rates later Thursday. No change is expected but the ECB's staff economists are expected to increase their growth outlook. Read ECB preview. On a regional level, the U.K. FTSE 100 index (UK:UKX 4,817, -0.64, -0.01%) traded flat at 4,817.10, the German DAX index (DX:DAX 5,322, +2.16, +0.04%) was little changed, at 5,321.70, and the French CAC-40 index (FR:PX1 3,572, -1.45, -0.04%) also held steady, at 3,572.33. U.S. stock futures were higher, with Dow Jones Industrial Average futures up 30 points. Asian share markets had a mixed session, although Chinese stocks posted their biggest percentage rise since March as metals stocks soared on hopes that the government will act to support markets. See Asia Markets. Miners were gaining in Europe, gold and silver futures extended a rally from the previous session and other metal futures also rose. Shares of Vedanta Resources (UK:VED 1,707, +77.00, +4.72%) rose 4.7% and Lonmin (UK:LMI 1,441, +80.00, +5.88%) shares climbed 6%. Gold miner Randgold Resources (UK:RRS 3,985, +295.35, +8.01%) climbed 8% after Wednesday's $22-an-ounce rally in the yellow metal. In the technology sector, Infineon (DE:IFX 3.64, +0.18, +5.21%) shares climbed 5.8%. The Financial Times Deutschland newspaper reported that the firm will aim for its old target of a 10% earnings before interest and tax margin in the fourth quarter of its next fiscal year. German stock exchange operator Deutsche Boerse is expected Thursday to decide that Infineon will re-enter the DAX six months after it was ejected, the report added. Nokia (FI:NOK1V 9.35, -0.07, -0.74%) (NOK 13.30, -0.02, -0.15%) shares were also strong, with the handset maker up 4.3% in Finland. However, drugmakers weakened with Roche (CH:ROG 165.20, -1.90, -1.14%) (RHHB.Y 39.37, +0.25, +0.64%) shares down 1.1% and GlaxoSmithKline (UK:GSK 1,188, -17.50, -1.45%) (GSK 39.06, +0.37, +0.96%) down 1.1%. Shares of chemicals giant BASF (DE:BAS 34.71, -1.13, -3.15%) dropped 3.3% in Frankfurt after Nomura cut its stance on the firm to reduce from neutral. The broker expects disappointment in 2010 as margins make a delayed adjustment to levels of underlying industry capacity utilization, which will remain very low despite volume growth. On the corporate news front, Pernod Ricard (FR:RI 51.44, -2.15, -4.02%) shares fell 3.9%. The producer of alcoholic beverages such as Seagram and Chivas Regal warned that its markets will stay difficult even as it reported that fiscal 2009 net income rose 13% to 945 million euros.

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