Europe shares higher after ECB; Aviva jumps 6%
European equities were higher on Thursday after the European Central Bank's (ECB) announced it had kept interest rates at record lows.
The pan-European Euro Stoxx 600 Index (^STOXX) was higher, with most major bourses and sectors posting moderate gains.
Auto stocks (STOXX:.SXAP) outperformed, as Continental (XETRA:CON-DE) shares rose 2.5 percent. The German auto-parts maker announced a jump in net profit for 2014 and an increase in sales.
In other stocks news, a profit rise for Aviva (London Stock Exchange: AV.-GB) gave investors plenty to cheer about with shares in the U.K. insurer climbing by over 6 percent.
Plus, French supermarket Carrefour (Euronext Paris: CA-FR) announced a profit hike in its full-year earnings and eyed a rise in 2015 expenditure; shares rose by nearly 3 percent.
Aside from individual stocks news, European investors now await ECB President Mario Draghi's regular press conference. Hopes are high for more details about the central bank's 1 trillion euro ($1.1 trillion) bond-buying program, including when it will start.
Tony Cross, market analyst at Trustnet Direct, said in a morning note that anything "more generous than expected" from the ECB could push markets higher on Thursday.
Draghi is also expected to announce that the ECB is raising its economic growth forecasts for the euro zone.
The euro (Exchange:EUR=) fell to an 11-year low prior to the meeting.
Read MoreLive blog: Europe rate decisions loom; QE details eyed
Meanwhile, the Bank of England announced it would hold its key interest rate at a historic low of 0.5 percent, and keep the size of its quantitative easing asset-purchasing program at £375 billion.
Read More Sixth year after historic UK rate cut, what next?
Investors also digested the news that China is aiming for economic growth target of 7 percent for 2015 -its lowest target in 11 years. Asian stocks traded lower on Thursday as a result.
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