Easing Oil Prices, Stable Bond Yields Lift European Bourses Midday

07:44 AM EDT, 09/25/2026 (MT Newswires) -- European bourses tracked moderately higher midday Friday as global crude prices eased, while some benchmark bond yields stabilized after recent increases. Bank and tech stocks led gains on continental trading floors, while oil shares lagged. The pan-continental Stoxx Europe 600 Index was up 0.7% mid-session. Brent crude-oil futures were down 1.7% at $104.84 a barrel, in midday trades. Yields on benchmark 10-year German bonds eased marginally, to near 3.60%. Investors also eyed Wall Street futures in the green, and mixed closes overnight on Asian exchanges, although Tokyo's Nikkei 225 index rose 1.3% on tech-sector optimism. In economic news, persistently high energy prices make it harder for the Bank of England to leave interest rates on hold, Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey said on Friday, Reuters reported. The Stoxx Europe 600 Technology Index was up 1.3% in midday action, and the Stoxx 600 Banks Index gained 1.6%. The Stoxx Europe 600 Oil and Gas Index eased 1.2%, while the Stoxx 600 Europe Food and Beverage Index declined 0.3%. The REITE, a European REIT index, rose 0.6%. On the national market indexes, Germany's DAX was up 0.8%, and the FTSE 100 in London gained 0.3%. The CAC 40 in Paris was up 0.3%, and Spain's IBEX 35 rose 1.1%. The Euro Stoxx 50 volatility index was down 0.8% at 17.34, 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.