07:49 AM EDT, 05/22/2024 (MT Newswires) -- European bourses tracked moderately lower midday Wednesday as traders took cues from soft US and Asian equity markets, and mulled an inflation report from London.

Tech stocks gained, while oil issues lagged.

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

The UK consumer price index (CPI) rose 2.3% in April on year, cooling from the 3.2% on-year gain recorded in March, reported the Office for National Statistics.

However, the UK core CPI, excluding energy, food, alcohol and tobacco, rose by 3.9% in the 12 months to April. The Bank of England has a 2% inflation target.

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

The Stoxx Europe 600 Technology Index was up 0.5%, and the Stoxx 600 Banks Index gained 0.1%.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Oil and Gas Index was off 0.8%, but the Stoxx 600 Europe Food and Beverage Index declined 0.7%.

The REITE, a European REIT index, rose 0.2%, but the Stoxx Europe 600 retail Index declined 0.3%.

On the national market indexes, Germany's DAX was down 0.30%, and the FTSE 100 in London was down 0.4%. The CAC 40 in Paris was off 0.6%, and Spain's IBEX 35 lost 0.1%.

Yields on benchmark 10-year German bonds were higher, near 2.53%.

Front-month North Sea Brent crude-oil futures were down 0.9% to $77.92 per barrel.

The Euro Stoxx 50 volatility index was down 0.1% to 12.53, 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.