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Persian Gulf, Earnings Undergird European Bourses Midday

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European bourses tracked moderately higher midday Friday as traders awaited developments in the Middle East and weighed a generally good earnings season.

The pan-continental Stoxx Europe 600 Index was up 0.6% mid-session, again poised to close at a record high.

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

Front-month North Sea Brent crude oil futures were down 0.8%, at $81.85 a barrel.

Kingspan shares rose 19.2% midday after the Irish building-materials enterprise reported Q2 results and raised its full-year profit guidance, citing work on data centers.

Investors also eyed Wall Street futures in the green, but mixed closes overnight on Asian exchanges, although China-exposed trading floors rose after a strong July international trade report from Beijing.

In economic news, Germany's industrial production rose 0.2% in June from May, but was down 0.1% on the year, reported Destatis.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Technology Index was up 1.9% mid-session, and the Stoxx 600 Banks Index gained 0.5%.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Oil and Gas Index eased 0.4%, while the Stoxx 600 Europe Food and Beverage Index inclined 0.6%.

The REITE, a European REIT index, fell 0.1%.

On the national market indexes, Germany's DAX was up 0.8%, and the FTSE 100 in London gained 0.8%. The CAC 40 in Paris was up 0.4%, and Spain's IBEX 35 lifted 0.2%.

Yields on benchmark 10-year German bonds were higher, near 3.15%.

The Euro Stoxx 50 volatility index was down 0.6% at 15.56, 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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