07:35 AM EDT, 03/11/2026 (MT Newswires) -- European bourses tracked moderately lower midday Wednesday as traders returned to a risk-off mood on sustained Middle East strife, and renewed rises in global crude prices.

Retail and oil stocks led gains on continental trading floors, while tech and property shares lagged.

Investors also eyed muted Wall Street futures, but higher closes overnight on Asian exchanges.

In economic news, the European Union returning to use of Russian fossil fuels would be a strategic blunder, said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, speaking during a European Parliament plenary debate.

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

The Stoxx Europe 600 Technology Index was down 0.6%, but the Stoxx 600 Banks Index gained 0.1%.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Oil and Gas Index rose 0.4%, while the Stoxx 600 Europe Food and Beverage Index declined 0.4%.

The REITE, a European REIT index, fell 1%, while the Stoxx Europe 600 Retail Index was up 0.8%.

On the national market indexes, Germany's DAX was down 0.8%, and the FTSE 100 in London lost 0.7%. The CAC 40 in Paris was down 0.3%, and Spain's IBEX 35 lifted 0.1%.

Yields on benchmark 10-year German bonds were higher, near 2.88%.

Front-month North Sea Brent crude-oil futures were up 2.6% at $90.11 a barrel.

The Euro Stoxx 50 volatility index was up 3.8% at 28.34, indicating above-average volatility for European stock markets in the next 30 days, a negative signal. A reading above 20 indicates choppier markets ahead, while below 20 suggests calmer exchanges.