London: The European stock markets held steady on Thursday, after three straight sessions of gains, supported by growing expectations that the Federal Reserve (the US central bank) may cut interest rates next month. The pan-European STOXX 600 index slipped slightly by 0.2 percent to 572.97 points.

According to Qatar News Agency, the performance of major European exchanges was mixed between flat and down: the FTSE 100 in London fell by 0.2 percent, while Germany's DAX remained unchanged.