07:42 AM EDT, 03/13/2026 (MT Newswires) -- European bourses tracked sideways midday as traders awaited clarity on Middle East hostilities and the direction of global crude prices.

Front-month North Sea Brent crude oil futures were down 0.2% at $100.21 a barrel.

Oil and tech stocks led gains on continental trading floors, while bank and retail shares lagged.

Investors also eyed Wall Street futures in the green, but lower overnight on Asian exchanges.

In economic news, seasonally adjusted industrial production in the Eurozone fell by 1.5% in January from December, while in the broader European Union output dropped 1.6%, Eurostat reported. On year in January, industrial output in the Eurozone decreased by 1.2%, and declined by 0.6% in the EU.

The pan-continental Stoxx Europe 600 Index was steady mid-session.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Technology Index was up 0.4%, and the Stoxx 600 Banks Index lost 0.7%.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Oil and Gas Index rose 0.7%, while the Stoxx 600 Europe Food and Beverage Index inclined 0.4%.

The REITE, a European REIT index, was flat, while the Stoxx Europe 600 Retail Index was down 0.2%.

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

Yields on benchmark 10-year German bonds were higher, near 2.94%.

The Euro Stoxx 50 volatility index was up 0.7% at 30.62, 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.