07:40 AM EDT, 10/23/2025 (MT Newswires) -- European bourses tracked moderately higher midday Thursday, led by rising petroleum shares after the US Trump Administration placed new trade sanctions on Russia's vast oil sector.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Oil and Gas Index was up 2.7% midday, while Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev took to social media platform Telegram to call the US oil sanctions an "act of war against Russia."

Front-month North Sea Brent crude-oil futures were up 5.5% at $66.01 a barrel, reflecting Russia's role as a major global oil exporter, and the possibility of reduced supplies going forward.

Investors also eyed muted Wall Street futures, and mixed closes overnight on Asian exchanges on still-uncertain China-US trade relations.

Despite geopolitical tensions and a soft tech sector, the pan-continental Stoxx Europe 600 Index was up 0.3% mid-session.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Technology Index was off 0.9%, but the Stoxx 600 Banks Index rose 0.4%.

The Stoxx 600 Europe Food and Beverage Index fell 0.6%.

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

On the national market indexes, Germany's DAX was down 0.1%, but the FTSE 100 in London rose 0.7%. The CAC 40 in Paris was up 0.5%, and Spain's IBEX 35 gained 0.1%.

Yields on benchmark 10-year German bonds were steady, near 2.58%.

The Euro Stoxx 50 volatility index was down 1.6% at 17.47, 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.