07:37 AM EDT, 03/26/2026 (MT Newswires) -- European bourses tracked lower midday Thursday as Middle East peace talks appeared to stagnate, and the Strait of Hormuz remained largely closed to oil tanker traffic.

The pan-continental Stoxx Europe 600 Index was off 1.1% mid-session.

Yields on benchmark 10-year German bonds were higher, near 3%, testing 14-year highs, as investors monitored inflation outlooks and likely central bank monetary policies.

Front-month North Sea Brent crude-oil futures were up 3.6% at $100.77 a barrel.

Oil, food and retail stocks edged higher on continental trading floors, while bank and tech shares lagged.

Investors also eyed Wall Street futures flashing red, and lower closes overnight on Asian exchanges.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Technology Index was down 2.2%, and the Stoxx 600 Banks Index lost 1.6%.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Oil and Gas Index rose 0.4%, while the Stoxx 600 Europe Food and Beverage Index inclined 0.2%.

The REITE, a European REIT index, fell 1%, while the Stoxx Europe 600 Retail Index was up 0.1%.

On the national market indexes, Germany's DAX was down 1.2%, and the FTSE 100 in London lost 1.3%. The CAC 40 in Paris was down 0.8%, and Spain's IBEX 35 eased 0.8%.

The Euro Stoxx 50 volatility index was down 2.1% at 31.15, 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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