07:49 AM EDT, 07/16/2024 (MT Newswires) -- European bourses tracked moderately lower midday Tuesday as traders weighed earnings reports and sluggish closes on Asian stock markets.

Property stocks bucked trends to edge higher, while oil issues lagged.

Shares in SCOR declined 25.2% midday after the French reinsurer posted soft Q2 results, and reported losses tied to its life and health lines.

Investors also eyed Wall Street futures signaling green but choppy closes overnight on Asian exchanges, including a 1.6% decline in Hong Kong. Rising US-China trade tensions added to sentiments.

Germany's economic sentiment indicator posted at 41.8 in July, down from 47.5 in June, the Center for European Economic Research (ZEW) reported. The French election, softening exports and uncertain central bank policies were cited for the decline.

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

The Stoxx Europe 600 Technology Index was off 0.4%, and the Stoxx 600 Banks Index lost 0.2%.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Oil and Gas Index was off 0.6%, and the Stoxx 600 Europe Food and Beverage Index declined 0.3%.

The REITE, a European REIT index, rose 0.1%, but the Stoxx Europe 600 Retail Index declined 0.2%.

On the national market indexes, Germany's DAX was down 0.5%, and the FTSE 100 in London was down 0.4%. The CAC 40 in Paris was off 0.8%, and Spain's IBEX 35 lost 0.9%.

Yields on benchmark 10-year German bonds were lower, near 2.42%.

Front-month North Sea Brent crude-oil futures were down 1.3% to $83.77 per barrel.

The Euro Stoxx 50 volatility index was up 3.3% to 14.03, still 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.