06:52 AM EST, 01/31/2025 (MT Newswires) -- European bourses tracked moderately higher midday Friday, after the European Central Bank (ECB) on Thursday reduced its key rate, and indicated more cuts are on the table for 2025.

Tech, oil and retail stocks led gainers in a generally good week for earnings, while bank issues lagged.

Investors also eyed Wall Street futures signaling green, and higher closes overnight on Asian exchanges in holiday-thinned trading.

Retail sales in Germany in December rose a real 1.8% on year, but fell by a seasonally adjusted 1.6% from November, reported Destatis.

The pan-continental Stoxx Europe 600 Index was 0.4% mid-session, again striking fresh all-time zeniths.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Technology Index was up 1.6%, but the Stoxx 600 Banks Index lost 0.1%.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Oil and Gas Index was up 0.8%, but the Stoxx 600 Europe Food and Beverage Index was flat.

The REITE, a European REIT index, rose 0.2%, and the Stoxx Europe 600 Retail Index inclined 0.7%.

On the national market indexes, Germany's DAX was up 0.3% at a new record high, and the FTSE 100 in London was up 0.4%, also at a zenith level. The CAC 40 in Paris was up 0.5%, and Spain's IBEX 35 gained 0.2%, touching a new all-time apex.

Yields on benchmark 10-year German bonds were lower, near 2.48%.

Front-month North Sea Brent crude-oil futures were down 0.3% to $75.64 per barrel.

The Euro Stoxx 50 volatility index was up 1.8% to 15.18, but still 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.