European bourses tracked moderately lower midday Thursday as traders waded into AI- and semiconductor-related shares, but mulled formidable bond yields and oil prices.

The pan-continental Stoxx Europe 600 Index was off 0.6% mid-session.

Tech stocks led gains on continental trading floors, while oil, property and bank shares lagged.

Front-month North Sea Brent crude-oil futures were up 2.4% to $100.46 a barrel, in midday trades.

Yields on benchmark 10-year German bonds were modestly lower, near 3.56% but still near 17-year highs.

Investors also eyed Wall Street futures in the green, and higher closes overnight on Asian exchanges, in tech-led rallies.

In economic news, the final Eurozone manufacturing purchasing managers index logged at 52.9 in September, up from 52.7 in August, and striking further above the 50-mark that separates expansion from contraction, reported S&P Global.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Technology Index was up 0.5%, and the Stoxx 600 Banks Index lost 1.7% in midday action.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Oil and Gas Index eased 0.7%, while the Stoxx 600 Europe Food and Beverage Index declined 0.8%.

The REITE, a European REIT index, fell 1.1%.

On the national market indexes, Germany's DAX was down 0.2%, and the FTSE 100 in London lost 1.2%. The CAC 40 in Paris was down 0.7%, and Spain's IBEX 35 eased 0.8%.

The Euro Stoxx 50 volatility index was up 5.7 % at 19.16, indicating below-average volatility for European stock markets in the next 30 days, a modestly positive signal. A reading above 20 indicates choppier markets ahead, while below 20 suggests calmer exchanges.