European bourses tracked moderately lower midday Friday as traders weighed ongoing tensions in the Persian Gulf against generally steady crude prices and interest rates.
Tech and property stocks led modest gains on continental trading floors, while bank shares lagged.
Investors also eyed Wall Street futures flashing green amid lower closes overnight on Asian exchanges.
In economic news, German industrial production declined 0.7% month over month in March, and fell 2.8% year over year, Destatis reported.
The pan-continental Stoxx Europe 600 Index was off 0.5% mid-session.
The Stoxx Europe 600 Technology Index was up 0.2%, while the Stoxx 600 Banks Index lost 0.3%.
The Stoxx Europe 600 Oil and Gas Index declined 0.1%, while the Stoxx 600 Europe Food and Beverage Index was 0.3% lower.
The REITE, a European REIT index, gained 0.1%.
On the national market indexes, Germany's DAX was down 0.7%, and the FTSE 100 in London lost 0.2%. The CAC 40 in Paris was down 0.7%, and Spain's IBEX 35 eased 0.3%.
Yields on benchmark 10-year German bonds were marginally higher, near 3.01%.
Front-month North Sea Brent crude-oil futures were up 0.6% at $100.64 a barrel.
The Euro Stoxx 50 volatility index was up 0.4% at 22.15, indicating above-average volatility for European stock markets in the next 30 days, a negative signal. A reading above 20 indicates choppier markets ahead, while below 20 suggests calmer exchanges.