07:51 AM EDT, 03/27/2026 (MT Newswires) -- European bourses tracked lower midday Friday as traders mulled higher oil prices and interest rates, along with awaited news on the Strait of Hormuz.

The pan-continental Stoxx Europe 600 Index was off 1.4% mid-session.

US President Donald Trump on Thursday extended by 10 days his threat to destroy Iranian energy infrastructure unless Tehran allows oil tankers to freely transit through the Persian Gulf.

Yields on benchmark 10-year German bonds were higher, near 3.1%, while front-month North Sea Brent crude-oil futures were up 2.4% at $104.31 a barrel.

Oil and tech stocks led broad retreats on continental trading floors.

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

In other news, UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper told reporters in France that the Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministers will discuss resolutions to the Strait of Hormuz crisis, and that Moscow-Tehran ties are concerning, the Associated Press reported.

In the sectors, the Stoxx Europe 600 Technology Index was down 1.9%, and the Stoxx 600 Banks Index lost 1.5%.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Oil and Gas Index eased 2.1%, while the Stoxx 600 Europe Food and Beverage Index declined 0.9%.

The REITE, a European REIT index, fell 1.5%, while the Stoxx Europe 600 Retail Index was down 1%.

On the national market indexes, Germany's DAX was down 1.6%, and the FTSE 100 in London lost 0.5%. The CAC 40 in Paris was down 1.1%, and Spain's IBEX 35 eased 1.5%.

The Euro Stoxx 50 volatility index was up 4.3% at 34.68, 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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