06:46 AM EST, 01/29/2025 (MT Newswires) -- European bourses tracked moderately higher midday Wednesday, after Dutch-based ASML reported strong sales and orders for its lithography machines that are instrumental to the production of semiconductor chips.

Tech and retail stocks led gainers, while food and oil issues lagged.

ASML traded up 8.7% midday, after reporting Q4 earnings and a large boost in orders. ASML CEO Christophe Fouquet told CNBC that budget AI models like China-based DeepSeek's could increase demand for AI chips, due to wider applications.

Investors also eyed Wall Street futures signaling green, and higher closes overnight on Asian exchanges, in holiday-thinned trading.

In economic news, Spain's gross domestic product (GDP) expanded by 3.5% on year in Q4, reported the National Institute of Statistics (INE).

The pan-continental Stoxx Europe 600 Index was up 0.7% mid-session, striking fresh all-time record highs.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Technology Index was up 3.8%, and the Stoxx 600 Banks Index gained 0.4%.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Oil and Gas Index was off 0.1%, and the Stoxx 600 Europe Food and Beverage Index declined 0.3%.

The REITE, a European REIT index, rose 0.1%, and the Stoxx Europe 600 Retail Index inclined 1.5%.

On the national market indexes, Germany's DAX was up 0.8%, to a new all-time apex, and the FTSE 100 in London was up 0.3%. The CAC 40 in Paris was off 0.2%, and Spain's IBEX 35 gained 0.9%, also striking a fresh zenith.

Yields on benchmark 10-year German bonds were lower, near 2.54%.

Front-month North Sea Brent crude-oil futures were down 0.6% to $76.05 per barrel.

The Euro Stoxx 50 volatility index was down 4.4% to 15.46, 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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