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Easing Interest Rates, Steady Crude Prices Undergird European Bourses Midday

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European bourses tracked moderately higher midday Wednesday as traders weighed mildly easing interest rates and steady oil prices, while awaiting clarity on the pending Washington-Tehran peace agreement.

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

Yields on benchmark 10-year German bonds were lower, near 2.93%.

Investors also eyed Wall Street futures in the green, and higher closes overnight on Asian exchanges, including a fresh all-time zenith on Tokyo's Nikkei 225.

In corporate news, BMW shares traded down 6.3% in Frankfurt after the German automaker issued a profit warning, citing soft demand in China and pressure from Persian Gulf hostilities.

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

The Stoxx Europe 600 Technology Index was up 1.2%, and the Stoxx 600 Banks Index gained 1.1%.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Oil and Gas Index eased 0.3%, while the Stoxx 600 Europe Food and Beverage Index inclined 0.2%.

The REITE, a European REIT index, fell 0.2%.

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

Front-month North Sea Brent crude-oil futures were up 0.5% to $79.38 a barrel.

The Euro Stoxx 50 volatility index was down 1.6% at 15.85, 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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