06:43 AM EST, 11/06/2026 (MT Newswires) -- European bourses tracked lower midday Friday, after the Bank of England on Thursday raised its key policy rate by 0.25% to 4%, the first boost in three years, and as war drums persisted across Eastern Europe and the Middle East.

Food stocks led broad losses on continental trading floors, although tech shares nearly held ground.

The pan-continental Stoxx Europe 600 Index was off 1.8% mid-session.

Brent crude-oil futures were up 0.2% at $98.45, in midday trades.

Investors also eyed Wall Street futures largely in the green, but lower closes overnight on Asian exchanges on declining AI- and semiconductor-related shares.

In economic news, retail sales in the Eurozone fell by 0.7% in September from August, while in the broader European Union sales declined by 0.6%, Eurostat reported. On year in September, retail sales in the Eurozone rose by 0.4%, and by 0.9% in the EU.

In the sectors, the Stoxx Europe 600 Technology Index was down 0.1%, and the Stoxx 600 Banks Index lost 1.2%.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Oil and Gas Index eased 1.4%, while the Stoxx 600 Europe Food and Beverage Index declined 2.2%.

The REITE, a European REIT index, fell 1.1%.

On the national market indexes, Germany's DAX was down 2.3%, and the FTSE 100 in London lost 2.2%. The CAC 40 in Paris was down 1.8%, and Spain's IBEX 35 eased 1.4%.

Yields on benchmark 10-year German bonds were steady, near 3.25%.

The Euro Stoxx 50 volatility index was up 7.2% at 21.89, 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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