On Frankfurt's DAX, athletic apparel company adidas was 1.5% higher, gas and engineering company Linde also gained 1.5%, chemical company Bayer rose 1.2% and kidney dialysis company Fresenius Medical Care gained 1.1%. The pan-European Stoxx 600 Index finished 0.63% higher, London's FTSE 100 Index gained 0.67%, Frankfurt's DAX rose 0.20% and Paris' CAC-40 closed 0.59% higher. European equities closed higher on Thursday after annual inflation exceeded a two-year high across the shared currency union, UK retail sales posted buoyant growth and a jump in oil prices provided a boost to commodities stocks.