European bourses were mixed and muted midday Wednesday as traders mulled US President Donald Trump's speech overnight at the UN, Washington-Tehran relations, and oil prices.
The pan-continental Stoxx Europe 600 Index was off 0.2% mid-session.
Tech shares edged lower on continental trading floors while food and oil stocks inched into the green.
Investors also eyed muted Wall Street futures and mixed closes overnight on Asian exchanges.
AI- and semiconductor-related shares in Hong Kong and Shanghai declined following media reports that China's internet regulator is scrutinizing AI startups DeepSeek and Moonshot AI for national-security breaches. The privately held enterprises may have routed live user prompts and data through Anthropic's Claude AI model, thus potentially exposing Beijing military and other secrets to US-based enterprises.
In economic news, the S&P Global flash Eurozone purchasing managers index logged at 53.1 in September, up from 52.0 in August, and striking further above the 50-mark that separates growth from contraction.
In midday trades, the Stoxx Europe 600 Technology Index was down 0.4%, and the Stoxx 600 Banks Index lost 0.1%.
The Stoxx Europe 600 Oil and Gas Index rose 0.1%, while the Stoxx 600 Europe Food and Beverage Index gained 0.1%.
The REITE, a European REIT index, fell 0.6%.
On the national market indexes, Germany's DAX was down 0.6%, and the FTSE 100 in London lost 0.1%. The CAC 40 in Paris was down 0.2%, and Spain's IBEX 35 eased 0.4%.
Yields on benchmark 10-year German bonds were higher, near 3.47%.
Front-month Brent crude oil futures were up 0.5% at $99.76 a barrel.
The Euro Stoxx 50 volatility index was down 5.1% at 17.39, 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.