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Easing Bond Yields, Oil Prices Lift European Bourses Midday

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European bourses tracked modestly higher midday Friday, as traders weighed mildly easing bond yields and oil prices.

Tech stocks led gains on continental trading floors, while bank shares lagged.

Front-month North Sea Brent crude-oil futures were down 0.5% at $95.02 a barrel in midday trade.

Investors also eyed Wall Street futures largely in the green, and higher closes overnight on Asian exchanges.

In economic news, seasonally adjusted retail sales in the Eurozone fell 0.6% in July from June, but were up 0.6% on year, reported Eurostat. In the broader European Union, seasonally adjusted retail sales fell 0.4% in July from June, but were up 1% on year.

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

The Stoxx Europe 600 Technology Index was up 1.4%, but the Stoxx 600 Banks Index lost 0.3%.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Oil and Gas Index eased 0.1%, while the Stoxx 600 Europe Food and Beverage Index inclined 0.3%.

The REITE, a European REIT index, rose 0.3%.

On the national market indexes, Germany's DAX was up 0.3%, and the FTSE 100 in London lost 0.1%. The CAC 40 in Paris was down 0.1%, and Spain's IBEX 35 was flat.

Yields on benchmark 10-year German bonds were lower, near 3.35%.

The Euro Stoxx 50 volatility index was down 5.8% at 16.49, 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.

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