The European stock markets closed higher in Thursday trading as the Stoxx Europe gained 0.7%, Germany's DAX rose 0.2%, the FTSE 100 increased 0.5%, France's CAC advanced 0.7%, and the Swiss Market Index closed 0.8% higher.
The European Central Bank's Governing Council decided Thursday to raise its three key interest rates by 25 basis points each. The interest rates on the deposit facility, the main refinancing operations, and the marginal lending facility will be increased to 2.25%, 2.40%, and 2.65%, respectively, effective June 17.
And in corporate news, Ryanair is facing an investigation by the UK's Competition and Markets Authority over charges parents must pay to sit with their children on flights, the regulator said Thursday.
The CMA said Ryanair requires at least one parent to sit with children aged 2 to 11 through a mandatory family seat reservation, which typically costs about 8 British pounds ($10.7) per flight.
A Ryainair spokesperson toldthat its family seating policy "fully complies" with applicable laws and regulations.
Shares of the Irish airline were 1.3% higher in Dublin.
BP said Tuesday that the company will have a new, simplified organizational structure composed of two distinct business segments beginning July 1 called Upstream and Downstream.
Gordon Birrell has been appointed as executive vice president for Upstream, while Richard Harding was named interim executive vice president for Downstream, BP said.
Shares of the British oil and gas major rose 1% in London.
Novartis said Thursday a phase I/II study of its experimental therapy, del-brax, met both primary and key secondary endpoints in patients with facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy.
Based on the study, Novartis said it is enrolling about 200 patients in the phase 3 study to evaluate the drug's safety and effectiveness.
Shares of the Swiss pharmaceutical company gained 2.2% in Zurich.
BHP's workers at Port Hedland operations in Western Australia have voted in favor of strike action as negotiations over a new labor agreement continue, Reuters reported Thursday.
All of the Electrical Trades Union participating members supported work stoppages ranging from 30 minutes to 24 hours, which could begin within days, the report said.
BHP did not immediately respond to' request for comment.
Shares of the mining company increased more than 2% in London.