Central Bank, Trade Outlooks Nudge European Bourses Up Midday

07:44 AM EDT, 10/29/2025 (MT Newswires) -- European bourses tracked moderately higher midday Wednesday as traders weighed a possibly pending China-US trade deal, and rate decisions from the Federal Reserve and European Central Bank.

President Donald Trump early Wednesday said he expects to cinch a trade agreement with Beijing, when he meets with China President Xi Jinping on Thursday.

The Federal Reserve will announce its rate decision, anticipated to be a 0.25% rate cut, at 2 pm ET, while the European Central Bank is slated for a rate announcement on Thursday.

Bank, retail and oil stocks led gains on continental trading floors, while food shares lagged.

Investors also eyed Wall Street futures in the green, and higher closes overnight on Asian exchanges on tech rallies. Fresh all-time record-high closes were set on exchanges in Seoul, Taiwan and Tokyo. Hong Kong was closed on holiday.

In economic news, Spain's Q3 gross domestic product (GDP) rose 2.8% on year, reported the National Statistics Institute.

The pan-continental Stoxx Europe 600 Index was up 0.3% mid-session.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Technology Index was up 0.6%, and the Stoxx 600 Banks Index gained 1%.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Oil and Gas Index rose 0.9%, while the Stoxx 600 Europe Food and Beverage Index lost 0.4%.

The REITE, a European REIT index, rose 0.4%, while the Stoxx Europe 600 Retail Index was up 0.9%.

On the national market indexes, Germany's DAX was flat, and the FTSE 100 in London gained 0.6%. The CAC 40 in Paris was steady, and Spain's IBEX 35 lifted 0.7%.

Yields on benchmark 10-year German bonds were higher, near 2.62%.

Front-month North Sea Brent crude-oil futures were up 0.5% at $64.14 a barrel.

The Euro Stoxx 50 volatility index was up 1.4% at 16.66, 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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