European stock prices are mixed in midday trading Thursday.

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

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

Tokyo's Nikkei index gained more than one and one-half percent to finish at 8,772.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng index rose nearly one and one-half percent to finish the day's trading at 19,752.

Gold is trading at $1,713.15 an ounce, down more than 2.6 percent.

The dollar is trading higher against other major currencies.