European stocks rose Thursday as traders awaited crucial jobs data for the latest reading on the world's largest economy, and ahead of the ECB's latest monetary policy decision. London's benchmark FTSE 100 index gained 0.46 percent to 6,848.12 points in midday deals. The Paris CAC 40 added 0.52 percent to 4,467.66 points and Frankfurt's DAX 30 won 0.64 percent to stand at 9,974.19 compared with Wednesday's close. The euro nudged lower to $1.3656 from $1.3659 late on Wednesday in New York, while the pound held close to a six-year dollar high. Investors are now keeping their focus on the release later in the day of key US non-farm payrolls (NFP) figures, hoping for further signs a recovery in the world's number-one economy is picking up strength. Wall Street enjoyed a record-breaking performance on Wednesday after payrolls company ADP said the private sector added a better-than-expected 281,000 jobs in June, stoking hopes of bright payrolls data. "The big question today is whether a strong NFP reading is going to be treated as good news, signalling fresh gains for markets, or as bad news, with equity indices dropping back from their recent highs," said Alastair McCaig, an analyst at IG traders. "In all the non-farm excitement the European Central Bank (ECB) has been somewhat overlooked, but this month's meeting is not expected to match the excitement of June." - ECB to sit tight - The Frankfurt-based ECB is unlikely to make new policy moves at its monthly meeting, focusing instead on assessing the impact of last month's unprecedented package. After cutting rates last month and unveiling new liquidity measures in its battle to prevent the single currency area from slipping into deflation, the ECB will "sit tight" at its meeting on Thursday, analysts said. "While no new measures to fight low inflation and very modest growth are expected, traders are eager to hear more details from ECB chief (Mario) Draghi regarding the measures announced during the previous meeting," noted Markus Huber at brokerage Peregrine and Black. At its June meeting, the ECB entered uncharted waters, taking one of its key interest rates into negative territory for the first time. It lowered its benchmark refinancing rate to 0.15 percent and cut the deposit rate, the rate at which the central bank pays commercial banks for depositing their unused cash, to minus 0.10 percent. This means that banks will be charged for parking funds at the ECB, to encourage them to lend to businesses and consumers instead. Elsewhere on Thursday, Asian equities traded mixed with some investors taking profits before the US payrolls. Tokyo stocks dipped 0.14 percent, Seoul lost 0.21 percent and Hong Kong was only marginally lower. However, Sydney added 0.66 percent and Shanghai closed 0.19 percent higher. In New York trade on Wednesday, the Dow added 0.12 percent and the S&P 500 was marginally higher, with both hitting records for a second successive day. The Nasdaq index of technology stocks was flat. - Pound holds near highs - In foreign exchange trade in London on Thursday, the British pound eased to $1.7143 from $1.7150 late in New York on Wednesday. The pound struck a near six-year high at $1.7177 Wednesday on expectations of a British interest rate hike. The euro firmed to 79.65 British pence on Thursday, from 79.57 pence the day before. On the London Bullion Market, the price of gold dipped to $1,322.40 an ounce from $1,326.50 on Wednesday.

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