07:36 AM EDT, 05/17/2024 (MT Newswires) -- European bourses tracked moderately lower Friday as traders weighed values in markets trading near record highs and awaited fresh catalysts.

Bank stocks bucked trends to edge higher, while property and tech issues lagged.

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

Inflation in the Eurozone should be near the European Central Bank's 2% target in 2025, ECB Vice President Luis de Guindos told a banking meeting in Madrid.

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

The Stoxx Europe 600 Technology Index was off 1%, but the Stoxx 600 Banks Index gained 0.3%.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Oil and Gas Index was off 0.2%, and the Stoxx 600 Europe Food and Beverage Index declined 0.1%.

The REITE, a European REIT index, fell 1%, and the Stoxx Europe 600 Retail Index declined 0.3%.

On the national market indexes, Germany's DAX and the FTSE 100 in London were both down 0.4%. The CAC 40 in Paris was off 0.4%, and Spain's IBEX 35 was flat.

Yields on benchmark 10-year German bonds were higher, near 2.51%.

Front-month North Sea Brent crude oil futures were down 0.1% to $83.17 per barrel.

The Euro Stoxx 50 volatility index was down 0.2% to 12.77, 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.