07:41 AM EDT, 04/22/2024 (MT Newswires) -- European bourses tracked higher midday Monday on softer crude oil prices and possibly easing Middle East hostilities.

Bank and property stocks led gainers, while retail issues lagged.

Investors also eyed Wall Street futures signaling green, and higher closes overnight on Asian exchanges.

Government debt in the European Union in Q4 fell to the equivalent of 81.7% of regional gross domestic product, down from 82.4% in Q3, reported Eurostat.

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

The Stoxx Europe 600 Technology Index was up 0.6%, and the Stoxx 600 Banks Index gained 0.8%.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Oil and Gas Index was up 1.1%, and the Stoxx 600 Europe Food and Beverage Index inclined 0.1%.

The REITE, a European REIT index, rose 0.9%, but the Stoxx Europe 600 Retail Index bucked trends and declined 0.6%.

On the national market indexes, Germany's DAX was up 0.4%, and the FTSE 100 in London was up 1.6%. The CAC 40 in Paris was up 0.1%, and Spain's IBEX 35 gained 1.1%.

Yields on benchmark 10-year German bonds were higher, near 2.55%.

Front-month North Sea Brent crude-oil futures were down 0.6% to $86.82 per barrel.

The Euro Stoxx 50 volatility index was down 3.7% to 17.51, 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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