06:52 AM EST, 11/18/2024 (MT Newswires) -- European bourses tracked moderately lower midday Monday as traders mulled geopolitical strife in Eastern Europe and global trade tensions.

Food and beverage stocks gained to buck trends, while tech, property and retail stocks lagged.

Investors also eyed mixed Wall Street futures and uneven closes overnight on Asian exchanges.

The pan-continental Stoxx Europe 600 Index was off 0.1% mid-session.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Technology Index was off 0.5% but the Stoxx 600 Banks Index rose 0.1%.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Oil and Gas Index was off 0.1%, but the Stoxx 600 Europe Food and Beverage Index inclined 0.2%.

The REITE, a European REIT index, fell 0.7%, and the Stoxx Europe 600 Retail Index declined 0.6%.

On the national market indexes, Germany's DAX was down 0.1%, and the FTSE 100 in London was up 0.2%. The CAC 40 in Paris was steady, and Spain's IBEX 35 was flat.

Yields on benchmark 10-year German bonds were higher, near 2.38%.

Front-month North Sea Brent crude-oil futures were up 0.7% to $71.53 per barrel.

The Euro Stoxx 50 volatility index was up 4.9% to 18.06, 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.