Easing Bond Yields Undergird European Bourses Midday

07:57 AM EDT, 09/03/2026 (MT Newswires) -- European bourses tracked modestly higher midday Thursday as traders weighed softer bond yields but kept on eye on rising global crude-oil prices. Bank stocks led mild gains on continental trading floors, while property and oil shares lagged. The pan-continental Stoxx Europe 600 Index was up 0.2% mid-session. Soitec shares were up 16% midday after the company said it is projecting Q2 2027 revenue would rise by 50% year over year, versus a 30% increase anticipated previously. Front-month North Sea Brent crude-oil futures were up 1% at $96.60 a barrel in midday action. Investors also eyed muted Wall Street futures, and mixed closes overnight on Asian exchanges. In economic news, eurozone producer prices rose 1.6% month over month in July, and were up 1.4% in the broader EU, Eurostat reported. Year over year, producer prices rose by 5.8% in the eurozone and by 5.6% in the EU, pushed primarily by energy costs. Among sectors, the Stoxx Europe 600 Technology Index was up 0.2%, and the Stoxx 600 Banks Index gained 0.4% mid-session. The Stoxx Europe 600 Oil and Gas Index eased 0.2%, while the Stoxx 600 Europe Food and Beverage Index declined 0.1%. The REITE, a European REIT index, fell 0.3%. On the national market indexes, Germany's DAX was up 0.1%, and the FTSE 100 in London gained 0.3%. The CAC 40 in Paris was down 0.2%, and Spain's IBEX 35 advanced 0.4%. Yields on benchmark 10-year German bonds were lower, near 3.35%. The Euro Stoxx 50 volatility index was down 2% at 17.17, 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.