Global stocks were mixed Thursday amid uncertainty over US monetary policy and lackluster economic data in Germany and Britain.

US stocks finished mostly higher after two down days, but market insiders continued to warn of more volatility ahead. The Dow was the outperformer of the US indices, climbing 0.7 percent. European equities were mixed. Paris ended higher but Frankfurt dipped after the closely-watched Ifo institute's survey of German business confidence sagged in February. London's benchmark FTSE 100 index also underperformed. Investors were grappling with a raft of company results and a slight downgrading of 2017 UK growth.