07:47 AM EDT, 08/14/2025 (MT Newswires) -- European bourses tracked modestly higher midday Thursday as traders awaited a meeting between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, scheduled for Friday.

Bank stocks led the gainers on continental trading floors, while oil and food issues lagged.

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

The pan-continental Stoxx Europe 600 Index was up 0.4% mid-session.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Technology Index was up 0.2%, and the Stoxx 600 Banks Index gained 0.7%.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Oil and Gas Index was off 0.6%, and the Stoxx 600 Europe Food and Beverage Index fell 0.3%.

The REITE, a European REIT index, rose 0.3%, while the Stoxx Europe 600 Retail Index was up 0.2%.

On the national market indexes, Germany's DAX was up 0.6%, while the FTSE 100 in London was steady. The CAC 40 in Paris was up 0.5%, and Spain's IBEX 35 gained 0.8%.

In other news, Belgium's BEL 20 stock market index struck an all-time high, surpassing the long-standing previous apex set in mid-2007. The BEL 20 index is made up of the 20 largest Belgian companies traded on Euronext Brussels.

Yields on benchmark 10-year German bonds were lower, near 2.67%.

Front-month North Sea Brent crude-oil futures were up 0.4% at $65.91 a barrel.

The Euro Stoxx 50 volatility index was down 2.1% to 15.82, 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.