07:53 AM EDT, 08/29/2025 (MT Newswires) -- European bourses tracked lower midday Friday ahead of a US inflation report, and as tensions mounted regarding the Russian-Ukraine war.

The Federal Reserve's preferred inflation metric, the July personal consumption expenditures index-core (PCE-core), is slated for an 8:30 am ET release in Washington. Pundits project a 2.9% on-year rise.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Security Council will meet on Friday at Ukraine's request to discuss deadly Russian aerial attacks on Kyiv and other Ukrainian locations, the Ukrinform news agency and the UNI website reported.

Bank and retail stocks led declines on continental trading floors, while oil issues held ground.

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

The pan-continental Stoxx Europe 600 Index was off 0.5% mid-session.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Technology Index was down 1%, and the Stoxx 600 Banks Index lost 1.7%.

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

The REITE, a European REIT index, fell 0.4%, while the Stoxx Europe 600 Retail Index was down 1.2%.

On the national market indexes, Germany's DAX was down 0.4%, and the FTSE 100 in London lost 0.3%. The CAC 40 in Paris was off 0.4%, and Spain's IBEX 35 eased 1.2%.

Yields on benchmark 10-year German bonds were steady near 2.71%.

Front-month North Sea Brent crude oil futures were down 0.4% at $67.72 a barrel.

The Euro Stoxx 50 volatility index was up 1.7% to 17.29, but still indicates 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.