European stocks close: stocks closed lower on comments by the European Central Bank President Mario Draghi

Stock indices closed lower on comments by the European Central Bank (ECB) President Mario Draghi. He said at a press conference on Thursday that the central bank will decide early next year whether to add further stimulus measures to boost inflation in the Eurozone.

Draghi pointed out that the central bank had discussed various options of quantitative easing (QE).

The central bank kept its interest rate unchanged at 0.05%.

The ECB cut its inflation and growth forecasts. Inflation forecast for the Eurozone was lowered to 0.5% in 2014 from the previous estimate of 0.6%, to 0.7% in 2015 from the previous estimate 1.1% and to 1.3% in 2016 from the previous estimate 1.4%.

The ECB also cut its economic growth forecast for the Eurozone. The growth was lowered to 0.8% 2014 the previous estimate of 0.9%, to 1.0% in 2015 from the previous estimate of 1.6% and to 1.5% in 2016 from the previous estimate of 1.9%.

Investors were disappointed as they speculated that the ECB will announce further stimulus measures.

The Bank of England kept its interest rates unchanged at 0.5% and its asset purchase program unchanged at £375 billion. This decision was widely expected.

Analysts expect that the BoE will delay its interest rate hike until the second half of 2015 because of low inflation, weak wages growth in the U.K. and a slowdown of the economic growth in the Eurozone.

Indexes on the close:

Name Price Change Change %

FTSE 100 6,679.37 -37.26 -0.55%

DAX 9,851.35 -120.44 -1.21%

CAC 40 4,323.89 -67.97 -1.55%