07:42 AM EDT, 05/29/2024 (MT Newswires) -- European bourses tracked moderately lower midday Wednesday, extending Tuesday declines as traders weighed rising global interest rates. Crude petroleum prices also rose.

Yields on benchmark 10-year German sovereign bonds were higher, near 2.63%, striking a six-month high.

Oil stocks gained while bank and tech issues led broad losses.

Investors eyed Wall Street futures signaling red, and largely lower closes overnight on Asian exchanges.

The pan-continental Stoxx Europe 600 Index was off 0.7% mid-session.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Technology Index was off 0.8%, and the Stoxx 600 Banks Index lost 1%.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Oil and Gas Index was up 0.6%, but the Stoxx 600 Europe Food and Beverage Index declined 0.7%.

The REITE, a European REIT index, fell 0.7%, but the Stoxx Europe 600 Retail Index inclined 0.1%.

On the national market indexes, Germany's DAX was down 0.7%, and the FTSE 100 in London was down 0.4%. The CAC 40 in Paris was off 1.1%, and Spain's IBEX 35 lost 0.7%.

Front-month North Sea Brent crude oil futures were up 0.7% to $84.52 per barrel.

The Euro Stoxx 50 volatility index was up 5.9% to 14.10, 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.