07:50 AM EDT, 07/15/2025 (MT Newswires) -- European bourses tracked modestly higher midday Tuesday after relatively strong economic reports from Beijing, and after chipmaking colossus Nvidia (NVDA) said US officials have approved premium chip sales to mainland China.

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

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

In economic news, China reported Q2 gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 5.2% on the year, indicating economic expansion is on track. Industrial production in June was also strong.

Germany's economic sentiment index notched at 52.7 in July, up from 47.5 in June, reported the Center for European Economic Research (ZEW). The index gauges opinions of 350 experts on the direction of the German economy over the next six months.

In other news, Nvidia, the world's most valuable company, said it plans to resume sales of H20 AI chips in China, after getting a green light from Washington.

The pan-continental Stoxx Europe 600 Index was up 0.2% mid-session.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Technology Index was up 1%, but the Stoxx 600 Banks Index lost 0.1%.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Oil and Gas Index was off 0.3%, but the Stoxx 600 Europe Food and Beverage Index rose 0.1%.

The REITE, a European REIT index, rose 0.6%, but the Stoxx Europe 600 Retail Index was down 1.1%.

On the national market indexes, Germany's DAX was up 0.2%, and the FTSE 100 in London was steady. The CAC 40 in Paris was flat, and Spain's IBEX 35 eased 0.4%.

Yields on benchmark 10-year German bonds were lower, at 2.68%.

Front-month North Sea Brent crude oil futures were down 0.2% at $69.08 a barrel.

The Euro Stoxx 50 volatility index was down 3.1% to 17.19, 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.