07:43 AM EDT, 05/14/2025 (MT Newswires) -- European bourses tracked modestly lower midday Wednesday as traders awaited clarity on international trade talks, and on Middle East and Eastern European conflicts.

Property and retail stocks led gainers, while oil issues lagged.

Investors eyed higher Wall Street futures and largely higher closes overnight on Asian exchanges.

In economic news, European Central Bank Governing Council member and Deutsche Bundesbank President Joachim Nagel said, "there is a good probability we will get to 2% inflation target," at the The New Economy Forum (NEF) in Madrid, reported Reuters.

The pan-continental Stoxx Europe 600 Index was off 0.1% mid-session.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Technology Index was steady, as was the Stoxx 600 Banks Index.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Oil and Gas Index was off 0.5%, but the Stoxx 600 Europe Food and Beverage Index inclined 0.3%.

The REITE, a European REIT index, rose 0.7%, and the Stoxx Europe 600 Retail Index inclined 0.3%.

On the national market indexes, Germany's DAX was down 0.4%, and the FTSE 100 in London was flat. The CAC 40 in Paris was off 0.5%, and Spain's IBEX 35 gained 0.2%.

Yields on benchmark 10-year German bonds were higher, near 2.66%.

Front-month North Sea Brent crude oil futures were down 1.2% to $65.83 per barrel.

The Euro Stoxx 50 volatility index was up 2.9% to 17.04, but still 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.