European stock prices are lower in midday trading Friday.

London's Financial Times index is down one and one-half percent. The CAC-40 in Paris is down 2.3 percent, and trading on the DAX index in Frankfurt is down more than two and a half percent.

In New York, the S&P futures contract is down 9 points, indicating a lower opening on Wall Street.

Tokyo's Nikkei index lost nearly one and one-quarter percent to finish at 8,951.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng index lost just over one and three-quarters percent to finish the day's trading at 20,213.

Gold is trading at $1,858.00 an ounce.

The dollar is trading steady against other major currencies.