06:45 AM EST, 02/24/2026 (MT Newswires) -- European bourses tracked sideways midday Tuesday as traders weighed geopolitical tensions and possible AI disruption of certain sectors, including financial services.

Food and oil stocks led gains on continental trading floors, while bank shares lagged.

Investors also eyed Wall Street futures in the green, and largely higher closes overnight on Asian exchanges, led by fresh all-time highs on equity indices in South Korea and Taiwan.

In economic news, European Union new car registrations fell by 3.9% on year to 799,625 units in January, "marking a second consecutive challenging start to the year for the market," reported the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association.

The pan-continental Stoxx Europe 600 Index was steady mid-session.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Technology Index was up 0.3%, but the Stoxx 600 Banks Index lost 1.6%.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Oil and Gas Index rose 0.5%, while the Stoxx 600 Europe Food and Beverage Index inclined 0.8%.

The REITE, a European REIT index, rose 0.1%, while the Stoxx Europe 600 Retail Index was up 0.4%.

On the national market indexes, Germany's DAX was down 0.1%, and the FTSE 100 in London lost 0.1%. The CAC 40 in Paris was up 0.1%, and Spain's IBEX 35 eased 0.7%.

Yields on benchmark 10-year German bonds were lower, near 2.70%.

Front-month North Sea Brent crude-oil futures were stable near $71.05 a barrel.

The Euro Stoxx 50 volatility index was up 1.5% at 19.98, indicating essentially average volatility for European stock markets in the next 30 days, a neutral signal. A reading above 20 indicates choppier markets ahead, while below 20 suggests calmer exchanges.

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