Tech-Sector Rally Leads European Bourse Higher Midday

07:40 AM EDT, 09/18/2025 (MT Newswires) -- European bourses tracked higher midday Thursday, as traders weighed global central bank attitudes, and switched into a risk-on mode.

Tech stocks rallied, while oil issues also gained in broad bull moves. Food shares lagged.

Investors also eyed Wall Street futures flashing green, and mixed closes overnight on Asian exchanges, although broad equity indices in Tokyo, and in tech-heavy Taiwan and Seoul, struck fresh all-time zeniths.

In economic news, the Bank of England announced that its policy interest rate remained unchanged at 4%, in line with expectations. The Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee voted 7-2 to hold the rate steady, with the two dissenters preferring a 0.25% cut.

However, Norway's central bank cut its key policy rate by 0.25% to 4.00%, and signaled that easing could proceed at cautious pace going forward, following on central bank rate cuts in the US and Canada on Wednesday.

The pan-continental Stoxx Europe 600 Index was up 0.7% mid-session.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Technology Index was up 3.3%, and the Stoxx 600 Banks Index gained 0.2%.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Oil and Gas Index was up 0.9%, but the Stoxx 600 Europe Food and Beverage Index was flat.

The REITE, a European REIT index, rose 0.6%, while the Stoxx Europe 600 Retail Index was up 0.3%.

On the national market indexes, Germany's DAX was up 1.2%, and the FTSE 100 in London rose 0.3%. The CAC 40 in Paris was up 1.1%, and Spain's IBEX 35 gained 0.1%.

Yields on benchmark 10-year German bonds were steady, near 2.68%.

Front-month North Sea Brent crude-oil futures were flat near $67.98 a barrel.

The Euro Stoxx 50 volatility index was down 8.2% to 15.42, 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.

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