European stock prices are lower in midday trading Tuesday.

London's Financial Times index is up more than 1 percent. The CAC 40 in Paris is up nearly one and three-quarters percent, and trading on the DAX index in Frankfurt is nearly one and a-half percent higher.

In New York, the S&P futures contract is up 18 points, indicating a higher opening.

Earlier Tuesday, Tokyo's Nikkei index gained nearly one and one-quarter percent to finish at 8,733. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index soared 2 percent to finish the day's trading at 19,876.

Gold is trading at $1,879.33 an ounce, down more than $18.

The dollar is trading lower against other major currencies.