07:47 AM EDT, 04/17/2025 (MT Newswires) -- European bourses tracked moderately lower midday Thursday as investors await an expected cut in European Central Bank's key interest rate, to 2.25% from 2.50%, and weigh evolving global trade news.

European securities exchanges will be closed for a four-day weekend, starting Friday.

Oil stocks bucked trends to gain, while tech issues lagged.

Investors also eyed Wall Street futures signaling green, and higher closes overnight on Asian exchanges.

The pan-continental Stoxx Europe 600 Index was off 0.6% mid-session.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Technology Index was off 1%, and the Stoxx Europe 600 Banks Index lost 0.4%.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Oil and Gas Index was up 0.7%, but the Stoxx Europe 600 Food and Beverage Index declined 0.5%.

The REITE, a European REIT index, was up 0.9%, while the Stoxx Europe 600 Retail Index was largely steady.

On the national market indexes, Germany's DAX was down 0.7%, and the FTSE 100 in London was down 0.6%. The CAC 40 in Paris was off 0.9%, and Spain's IBEX 35 lost 0.4%.

Yields on benchmark 10-year German bonds were higher, near 2.53%.

Front-month North Sea Brent crude-oil futures were up 1.2% to $66.64 a barrel.

The Euro Stoxx 50 volatility index was up 2.8% to 27.36, indicating above-average volatility for European stock markets in the next 30 days, a negative signal. A reading above 20 indicates choppier markets ahead, while below 20 suggests calmer exchanges.

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