European stock prices are lower in midday trading Thursday.

London's Financial Times index is down seven-tenths of a percent . The CAC-40 in Paris is down 1.1 percent , and the DAX index in Frankfurt is down one percent .

In New York, the S&P futures contract is up three points, indicating a higher opening.

Tokyo's Nikkei index dropped 1.7 percent to finish at 9,555.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng index lost 1.6 percent to end the day's trading at 23,254.

Gold is trading at $1,542.95 an ounce.

The dollar is trading lower against other major currencies.