European markets ended mixed, with auto stocks falling on poor December registrations data. The FTSE 100 in London fell 0.2%, but the CAC 40 in Paris and the Dax in Frankfurt gained.

Asian markets ended lower. The Nikkei dropped 2.6%, while China's Shanghai Composite shed 0.7% and Hong Kong's Hang Seng closed down 0.1%.

Oil prices rose 1% to end at $94.24 a barrel, helped in part by expectations that a recent cold snap will boost demand for heating oil. Gold prices edged lower and the U.S. dollar weakened versus the euro and Japanese yen.