British stocks closed flat on Thursday, with the benchmark FTSE 100 Index down by 0.08 percent, or 6.06 points, to close at 7,615.63 points.

British American tobacco, a multinational tobacco company, soared 3.85 percent, the top gainer of the blue chips. Shire and Imperial brands increased by 3.10 percent and 2.83 percent, respectively.

Micro focus international, a multinational software and information technology business, was the worst performer in the blue chips, with its shares losing 3.70 percent. Melrose industries, a company specialising in buying and improving underperforming businesses, dropped 3.16 percent. Johnson Matthey, a specialty chemicals company, fell 2.96 percent.