European bourses were mixed midday Monday as traders mulled ongoing Persian Gulf turmoil and higher crude prices.
Oil and tech stocks led gains on continental trading floors, while food and bank shares lagged.
Front-month North Sea Brent crude-oil futures were up 2.9% at $93.76 a barrel, as Tehran-Washington peace talks again appeared to stall.
Investors also eyed Wall Street futures in the green, and largely higher closes overnight on Asian exchanges, including fresh zeniths on equity indices in Seoul, Taiwan and Tokyo.
In economic news, the Eurozone manufacturing purchasing managers index (PMI) dropped to 51.6 in May from from 52.2 in April, but still struck above the 50-mark that separates growth from contraction, reported S&P Global
The pan-continental Stoxx Europe 600 Index was off 0.2% mid-session.
The Stoxx Europe 600 Technology Index was up 1.4%, but the Stoxx 600 Banks Index lost 0.4%.
The Stoxx Europe 600 Oil and Gas Index rose 0.8%, while the Stoxx 600 Europe Food and Beverage Index declined 0.5%.
The REITE, a European REIT index, fell 0.2%.
On the national market indexes, Germany's DAX was up 0.3%, and the FTSE 100 in London lost 0.2%. The CAC 40 in Paris was up 0.1%, and Spain's IBEX 35 eased 0.2%.
Yields on benchmark 10-year German bonds were higher, near 2.98%.
The Euro Stoxx 50 volatility index was down 1.5% at 19.02, 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.