European Central Bank policymaker Gediminas Simkus said on Monday he expected an interest rate cut in March and "a couple more" in the following months.

European stock markets rose Thursday as the European Central Bank cut interest rates again while US shares were steady after a mixed bag of company earnings reports.

European Central Bank interest rates have room to fall further given weak growth and a slowdown in inflation, but uncertainty is so high that any more precise guidance on rates would be unrealistic, Slovak policymaker Peter Kazimir said on Monday.