Europe's major stock markets were flat to firmer on Thursday, with the US markets shut for Thanksgiving.

"Equities are positive, but typically quiet," in view of the US holiday, said Accendo Markets analyst, Mike van Dulken. 

While London and Frankfurt were both more or less flat at the end of the session, Paris made much stronger gains, buoyed by the release of favourable economic indicators for both France and the wider eurozone, traders said.

Business rose sharply across the eurozone in November, a key survey showed, as job creation hit the fastest pace in 17 years and the economic recovery in Europe gained steam.

Analysts said the rise in the headline readings of the survey by data monitoring company IHS Markit was a confirmation that the eurozone economy was resilient against the shock of Brexit and would mean a banner year for economic growth.