07:37 AM EDT, 03/26/2025 (MT Newswires) -- European bourses tracked moderately lower midday Wednesday, weighed by tension in the Middle East and Eastern Europe, and in international trade.

Oil stocks bucked trends to gain while tech issues lagged.

Investors also eyed Wall Street futures mildly signaling red, but higher closes overnight on Asian exchanges.

The UK's consumer price index (CPI) rose 2.8% on the year in February, below the 3% rate logged in January, the Office for National Statistics reported.

The pan-continental Stoxx Europe 600 Index was off 0.4% mid-session.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Technology Index was off 0.9%, and the Stoxx 600 Banks Index lost 0.4%.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Oil and Gas Index was up 1.3%, but the Stoxx 600 Europe Food and Beverage Index declined 0.4%.

The REITE, a European REIT index, rose 0.1%, but the Stoxx Europe 600 Retail Index declined 0.3%.

On the national market indexes, Germany's DAX was down 0.6%, and the FTSE 100 in London was up 0.2%. The CAC 40 in Paris was up 0.6%, and Spain's IBEX 35 lost 0.1%.

Yields on benchmark 10-year German bonds were higher, near 2.80%.

Front-month North Sea Brent crude-oil futures were up 0.9% to $73.04 per barrel.

The Euro Stoxx 50 volatility index was up 2.7% to 18.20, indicating below-average volatility for European stock markets in the next 30 days, a positive signal. A reading above 20 indicates choppier markets ahead, while below 20 suggests calmer exchanges.

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