U.S. stock market indicators made gains in mid-day trading Wednesday. Energy company stocks led the way upward after an increase in world oil prices.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average, the S&P 500, and the NASDAQ all moved up one-third of a percent or more.
European share prices were lower at the close. London's Financial Times index retreated 22 points to end at 5004. The CAC-40 in Paris fell nine points to finish at 4171 and the DAX index in Frankfurt lost nine points to hit 4557.
Earlier in Asia, Tokyo's Nikkei index gained 64 points to finish at 11,281. In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng index moved up 61 points to close at 13,899.
The price of gold is up more than one dollar, trading at 425 dollars and 77 cents-an-ounce in New York.
The dollar is up against the yen but is lower compared to the euro in New York.