The U.S. Dollar Index is trading at 96.39  up with   +0.46% percent or +0.44 point. The Dow Futures is trading at 25,114.00 with a loss of -0.46% percent or -116.00 point. The S&P 500 Futures is trading at 2,730.50  with a loss of -0.57% percent or -15.75 point.  The Nasdaq Futures is trading at 7,090.00 with a loss of -0.70% percent or -50.25 point.

TODAY’S FACTORS AND EVENTS

The euro skidded to its weakest since Aug. 20 on Wednesday after signs that economic growth could be slowing in Germany and France, the euro zone’s two biggest economies.

German private-sector growth slowed to its lowest level in more than three years as manufacturing and services both lost momentum, below forecasts, while manufacturing in France hit a 25-month low, widely-watched surveys showed.

The single currency, earlier trading flat, dropped 0.4 percent to $1.1422 after the surveys were published.

PREVIOUS DAY ACTIVITY

For the day the Dow is trading at 25,191.43 with  a loss of -0.50% percent or  -125.98 point. The S&P 500 is trading at 2,740.69 with a loss of  -0.55% percent or -15.19 point. The Nasdaq Composite is trading at 7,437.54 with a loss of -0.42% percent or -31.09 point.

WORLD MARKETS

Other leading market index closes included the small-cap Russell 2000 Index closed at 1,526.59  with a loss of -0.84% percent or -12.91 point; the S&P 600 Small-Cap Index closed at 954.45   with a loss of -0.78% percent or -7.49  point; the S&P 400 Mid-Cap Index closed at 1,844.73  with a loss of -0.99% percent or  -18.42 point; the S&P 100 Index closed at 1,225.82 with a loss of -0.42% percent or -5.20 point; the Russell 3000 Index closed at 1,614.03 with a loss of -0.58% percent or  -9.36 point; the Russell 1000 Index closed at 1,513.98 with a loss of  -0.56% percent or -8.46 point;