European Central Bank Expected To Cut Borrowing Costs

A passerby moves past an electronic stock board showing Japan's stock prices outside a securities firm in Tokyo, on Oct. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama)

World shares were mixed on Thursday, with European stocks gaining in anticipation of a potential cut in borrowing costs by the European Central Bank (ECB). The rate-setting council of the ECB is expected to lower its benchmark rate from 3.5% to 3.25% following a decrease in inflation across the eurozone and weakening economic growth.

European markets responded positively to this expectation, with Germany's DAX gaining 0.8%, the CAC 40 in Paris advancing 1.3%, and Britain's FTSE 100 rising 0.5%.