07:42 AM EDT, 04/29/2026 (MT Newswires) -- European bourses tracked moderately lower midday Wednesday as traders weighed still-rising oil prices amid an apparent stalemate regarding the opening of the Strait of Hormuz.

Front-month North Sea Brent crude-oil futures were up 2.9% at $107.47 a barrel.

Oil and tech stocks led gains on continental trading floors, while food and property shares lagged.

UBS shares were up 5.4% midday after the company reported higher Q1 earnings and revenue.

Investors also eyed Wall Street futures inching into the green amid uneven gains overnight on Asian exchanges.

In economic news, the consumer confidence for the euro area declined to a negative 20.6 in April from a negative 16.4 in March, the European Commission reported. In the broader European Union, the index dropped to negative 19.4 from negative 15.4.

The pan-continental Stoxx Europe 600 Index was off 0.3% mid-session.

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

The Stoxx Europe 600 Oil and Gas Index advanced 0.7%, while the Stoxx 600 Europe Food and Beverage Index declined 0.7%.

The REITE, a European REIT index, fell 1.2%.

On the national market indexes, Germany's DAX was down 0.2%, and the FTSE 100 in London lost 0.8%. The CAC 40 in Paris was down 0.6%, and Spain's IBEX 35 eased 0.6%.

Yields on benchmark 10-year German bonds were higher, near 3.07%.

The Euro Stoxx 50 volatility index was down 0.6% at 23.62, 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.