Tech, Credit Concerns Dampen European Bourses Midday

07:43 AM EDT, 10/15/2026 (MT Newswires) -- European bourses tracked moderately lower midday Thursday amid soft tech stocks and concerns that central banks will tighten and raise borrowing costs after a hot US inflation report overnight. Food stocks led gains on continental trading floors, while oil shares joined tech on the downside. Front-month Brent crude-oil futures were down 1.3% at $104.68 a barrel, in midday trades. Investors also eyed Wall Street futures flashing red amid lower closes overnight on Asian exchanges, including a 7.6% dent to Seoul's KOSPI index as semiconductor-related stocks retreated. In economic news, seasonally adjusted eurozone industrial production declined by 0.5% in August from July and output in the broader European Union fell by 0.3%, Eurostat reported. Year over year, August industrial production in the euro area decreased by 1.1% and by 0.2% in the EU. The pan-continental Stoxx Europe 600 Index was off 0.3% mid-session. The Stoxx Europe 600 Technology Index was down 3.2%, and the Stoxx 600 Banks Index lost 0.7%. The Stoxx Europe 600 Oil and Gas Index eased 1%, while the Stoxx 600 Europe Food and Beverage Index edged 1.3% higher. The REITE, a European REIT index, rose 0.5%. On the national market indexes, Germany's DAX was down 0.4%, while the FTSE 100 in London gained 0.6%. The CAC 40 in Paris was up 0.2%, and Spain's IBEX 35 advanced 0.1%. Yields on benchmark 10-year German bonds were lower, near 3.37%. The Euro Stoxx 50 volatility index was up 5.7% at 19.38, indicating below-average volatility for European stock markets in the next 30 days, a marginally positive signal. A reading above 20 indicates choppier markets ahead, while below 20 suggests calmer exchanges.