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 1.3 percent, and the DAX index in Frankfurt is down 1.6 percent.

In New York, the S&P futures contract is up more than a point, indicating a higher opening.

Tokyo's Nikkei index lost nearly one and one-half percent to finish at 9,901.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng index gained one-tenth of one percent to finish the day's trading at 22,571.

Gold is trading at $1,615.54 an ounce.

The dollar is weaker against the yen but stronger against the euro.