European stocks were subdued in lackluster trade on Thursday as the euro and pound both rose against the dollar on dovish Fed bets.
The latest U.S. initial jobless claims figure will be out later in the day and signs of a weakening labor market could weaken the dollar further.
The pan European STOXX 600 was marginally lower at 478.6 after rising 0.2 percent on Wednesday.
The German DAX was little changed with a negative bias, while France's CAC 40 and the U.K.'s FTSE 100 both dipped around 0.1 percent.
Economy-sensitive banks and automakers were mostly lower.
Skanska AB rose about half a percent. The Swedish engineering and construction company announced that it has secured a contract worth $147 million from the US navy acting on behalf of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Danish wind turbine maker Vestas Wind Systems added 1.6 percent to extend gains for a sixth straight session after securing a 1,089 MW order in the United States.
BP Plc and Shell were down around half a percent each as Benchmark Brent crude futures slipped back below $80 per barrel after major shipping companies began returning to the Red Sea.
Miners Anglo American, Antofagasta and Glencore were trading flat to slightly lower after U.S holiday retail sales figures came in below expectations.
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