European stocks ended sharply lower on Thursday, as bank and commodity stocks sold off and investors remained jittery over the global economy's health. The pan-European STOXX 600 tumbled, closing 3.7 percent down provisionally. London's FTSE 100 fell 2.4 percent, while its continental counterparts, France's CAC 40 and Germany's DAX closed even lower, off 4 percent and 2.9 percent respectively. Italy's FTSE MIB was off 5.6 percent, dragged down by its banks.

Pernod Ricard shares fizzle out

On the earnings front, Total saw a 26 percent year-on-year slump in fourth quarter adjusted net income amid low oil prices and said it would reduce its capex by more than 15 percent this year. Shares slipped over 3 percent. And Pernod Ricard, the world's second-biggest spirits group, fell over 6.5 percent, after reporting a 3 percent rise in first-half profit but warned it still faced headwinds in China.