07:44 AM EDT, 07/22/2026 (MT Newswires) -- European bourses tracked moderately higher midday Wednesday as solid earnings-season reports outweighed Persian Gulf turmoils and tech-sector weakness.

Property, food and bank stocks led gains on continental trading floors, while tech shares lagged.

Equinor shares traded up 4% midday after the Norwegian energy giant reported Q2 earnings of $11.48 billion, up from $6.53 billion a year earlier.

Front-month North Sea Brent crude-oil futures were up 3.9% at $94.54 a barrel in midday trades.

Investors also eyed Wall Street futures in the red, and uneven closes overnight on Asian exchanges.

In economic news, UK's consumer price index rose 2.6% in June on year, less than the 2.8% on-year rise logged in May, reported the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

UK producer prices were flat in June from May, but up 3.5% on year, added the ONS.

The pan-continental Stoxx Europe 600 Index was up 0.4% mid-session.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Technology Index was down 1.2%, but the Stoxx 600 Banks Index gained 1.1%.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Oil and Gas Index eased 0.1%, while the Stoxx 600 Europe Food and Beverage Index inclined 1.5%.

The REITE, a European REIT index, rose 1.2%.

On the national market indexes, Germany's DAX was up 0.4%, and the resource-heavy FTSE 100 in London gained 1.2%. The CAC 40 in Paris was up 0.9%, and Spain's IBEX 35 lifted 0.9%.

Yields on benchmark 10-year German bonds were higher, near 3.18%, near 15-year highs.

The Euro Stoxx 50 volatility index was up 1.6% at 16.93, 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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