07:50 AM EDT, 09/25/2024 (MT Newswires) -- European bourses tracked sideways midday Wednesday as traders awaited fresh market cues, and edged away from tech and oil shares.

Bank and property stock held firm, while retail issues also edged lower.

Investors mulled muted Wall Street futures, and uneven closes overnight on Asian exchanges.

The Sveriges Riksbank, Sweden's central bank, announced that it cut its key policy interest rate to 3.25%, from the previous 3.50%.

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

The Stoxx Europe 600 Technology Index was off 0.5%, but the Stoxx 600 Banks Index was steady.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Oil and Gas Index was off 0.6%, and the Stoxx 600 Europe Food and Beverage Index declined 0.2%.

The REITE, a European REIT index, was steady, but the Stoxx Europe 600 Retail Index declined 0.1%.

On the national market indexes, Germany's DAX was down 0.3%, and the FTSE 100 in London was up 0.3%. The CAC 40 in Paris was off 0.2%, and Spain's IBEX 35 was up 0.1%.

Yields on benchmark 10-year German bonds were higher, near 2.17%.

Front-month North Sea Brent crude-oil futures were down 1.1% to $73.64 per barrel.

The Euro Stoxx 50 volatility index was up 1.2% to 16.21, 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.