European stock markets were higher in midday trading Monday.

London's Financial Times 100 index was up 1.66 percent , to 5,124. The CAC-40 in Paris rose 1.52 percent , to 3,063. And the DAX in Frankfurt was up four-tenths of a percent , at 5,504.

The S&P futures contract was up 10 points, indicating a higher opening for U.S. markets.

In Asia, Tokyo's Nikkei index dropped one percent to close at 8,628.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng was up half a percent to end at 19,487.

Gold was trading at $1,880.62 an ounce.

The U.S. dollar was higher against other major currencies.