European stock markets show gains in Wednesday's midday trading.

The main Financial Times index in London is up three-tenths of one percent, the CAC-40 in Paris gained one and a quarter percent, and the DAX in Germany is up one-point-one percent.

Futures contracts for the S&P 500 index in the United States were seven points higher, indicating a strong opening to trading on Wall Street.

Markets in Asia closed mixed. Tokyo's Nikkei index fell nearly one-half of one percent to finish at 8,739. The Hang Seng in Hong Kong closed one percent higher (188 points), at 18,329.

Gold was selling at $1,684.25 an ounce, a gain of about 22 dollars.

The dollar was slightly lower against other major currencies.