Central Bank Views, Earnings Blunt European Bourses Midday

07:51 AM EDT, 10/30/2025 (MT Newswires) -- European bourses tracked moderately lower midday Thursday as traders digested a warning from the US central bank that more rate cuts may be off the table, and awaited a pending European Central Bank rate decision.

Retail, oil, property and bank stocks lost ground on continental trading floors, while tech issues firmed.

Shares in WPP fell 12.5% midday after the London-based advertising-PR giant lowered guidance and reported soft Q3 earnings and revenue.

Federal Reserve Chief Jerome Powell said rate cuts may be paused, after the central bank reduced its key policy rate by 0.25%, on Wednesday.

Investors also eyed tepid Wall Street futures, and lower closes overnight on Asian exchanges.

In economic news, the Q3 seasonally adjusted Eurozone gross domestic product (GDP) increased by 0.2% from Q2, and rose by 0.3% in the broader European Union, reported Eurostat. On year in Q3, the Eurozone GDP rose 1.3%, and the EU GDP rose by 1.5%.

The pan-continental Stoxx Europe 600 Index was off 0.5% mid-session.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Technology Index was up 0.3%, but the Stoxx 600 Banks Index lost 0.8%.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Oil and Gas Index eased 1%, while the Stoxx 600 Europe Food and Beverage Index was steady.

The REITE, a European REIT index, fell 0.8%, while the Stoxx Europe 600 Retail Index was down 1%.

On the national market indexes, Germany's DAX was down 0.2%, and the FTSE 100 in London lost 0.5%. The CAC 40 in Paris was lower by 0.8%, and Spain's IBEX 35 eased 1.3%.

Yields on benchmark 10-year German bonds were higher, near 2.66%.

Front-month North Sea Brent crude-oil futures were down 0.7% at $63.87 a barrel.

The Euro Stoxx 50 volatility index was down 2.2% at 16.87, 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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