07:47 AM EDT, 04/06/2026 (MT Newswires) -- European bourses tracked modestly lower midday Monday as traders weighed Middle East turmoil, oil prices and the latest media reports regarding a possible ceasefire of hostilities in the Persian Gulf.

Oil stocks led gains on continental trading floors, while bank and tech shares lagged. The resource-heavy FTSE 100 index in London gained ground, while other national exchanges fell back.

Investors also eyed Wall Street futures edging into the green, and higher closes overnight on Asian exchanges, in holiday-thinned trading.

The pan-continental Stoxx Europe 600 Index was off 0.2% mid-session.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Technology Index was down 1%, and the Stoxx 600 Banks Index lost 1.2%.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Oil and Gas Index rose 1.9%, while the Stoxx 600 Europe Food and Beverage Index edged 0.2% higher.

The REITE, a European REIT index, gained 0.5%, while the Stoxx Europe 600 Retail Index was down 0.8%.

On the national market indexes, Germany's DAX was down 0.6%, but the FTSE 100 in London gained 0.7%. The CAC 40 in Paris was down 0.2%, and Spain's IBEX 35 eased 0.1%.

Yields on benchmark 10-year German bonds were steady, near 2.99%.

Front-month North Sea Brent crude-oil futures were down 0.5% at $108.50 a barrel.

The Euro Stoxx 50 volatility index was up 11.5% at 30.07 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.