European stock prices are lower in midday trading Thursday.

London's Financial Times index is down just over one percent. The CAC-40 in Paris is down one and one-half percent, and the DAX index in Frankfurt is down nearly one and one-quarter percent.

In New York, the S&P futures contract is down eight points, indicating a lower opening.

Tokyo's Nikkei index lost three-tenths of a percent to finish at 9,597.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng index lost nearly one-half of one percent to finish the day's trading at 21,759.

Gold is trading at $1,538.00 an ounce.

The dollar is mixed in trading against other major currencies.