07:39 AM EDT, 03/24/2026 (MT Newswires) -- European bourses tracked moderately higher midday Tuesday as traders weighed conflicting reports about possibilities for calm in the Persian Gulf, amid renewed bombardments of Middle East nations by Iran.

Oil and property stocks led gains on continental trading floors, while bank and tech shares lagged.

Investors also eyed Wall Street futures mildly in the red, but higher closes overnight on Asian exchanges.

In economic news, the flash composite Eurozone purchasing manager index (PMI), a combination of the manufacturing and service sectors, logged at 50.5 in March, down from 51.9 in February, but still struck above the 50-mark that separates growth from contraction.

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

The Stoxx Europe 600 Technology Index was down 0.2%, and the Stoxx 600 Banks Index lost 0.6%.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Oil and Gas Index rose 0.8%, while the Stoxx 600 Europe Food and Beverage Index inclined 0.6%.

The REITE, a European REIT index, rose 0.7%, while the Stoxx Europe 600 Retail Index was down 0.4%.

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

Yields on benchmark 10-year German bonds were steady, near 3.01%.

Front-month North Sea Brent crude-oil futures were up 2% at $97.87 a barrel.

The Euro Stoxx 50 volatility index was down 2% at 31.90 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.