U.S. stocks opened lower on Wednesday after a government report showed retail sales falling short of investors' expectations.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost four points to hit 10,504. The S & P 500 was off two points at 1185, and the NASDAQ was down six points to reach 1999.
European share prices are higher in midday trading. London's Financial Times index, the CAC-40 in Paris, and the DAX index in Frankfurt all gained three-tenths of a percent or more.
Earlier in Asia, Tokyo's Nikkei index lost 33 points to close at 11,638. The Hang Seng index in Hong Kong gained 142 points to close at 13,800.
The price of gold is down about 20 cents, trading at 428 dollars and one cent an ounce in New York.
The dollar in New York is lower against the yen, but gained value compared to the euro.