Dollar recorded losses, with its index, which measures the greenback's performance against a basket of its major peers, down near a one-month low touched on Wednesday; it was last trading at 97.76, with a 0.66% loss for the day. Dollar plummeted to a month-low against the yen at 122.10, down 0.68%. It gave up 0.73% against the euro to 1.0972. Dollar dove 0.71% against sterling to 1.5116.

Euro was more upbeat, after data showed Germany's trade balance recording a surplus of 20.8B for October, compared with 19.2B for September, and against forecasts of 20.0B. The surplus growth wasn't due to increasing exports however, as they fell 1.2% m\m, but imports dropped even more by 3.4%, against forecasts of a smaller 0.9% decline. With all that in the background; Euro's index hit a five-week high at 88.22, gaining half a percent. Euro inched up 0.03% against the yen to 133.93.

European shares slid to a seven-week low, amid worsened outlook for energy and mining companies, and as the U.S. Fed prepares to raise interest rates for the first time in nearly a decade. The pan-European index FTSEurofirst 300 lost 0.64% to 1,428. Germany's DAX shed 100 points, or 0.94% to 10,573. France's CAC 40 dropped 50 points, or 1.14% to 4,628. Britain's FTSE was more resilient, giving up just 12 points, or 0.20% to 6,122.

Oil prices pared some of their gains but were still up for the day, with U.S. crude futures rising 30 cents, or 0.86% to $37.84 per barrel. Brent futures are up 20 cents, or 0.52% to $40.48 a barrel.

Gold futures rose strongly, gaining $8.50, or 0.79% to $1,083.80 an ounce. Silver futures were even more upbeat, advancing 1.34%, or 19 cents to $14.30 an ounce.

Wall Street extended its losses, with Dow Jones retreating 17 points, or 0.10% to 17,545. NASDAQ fell 22 points, or 0.44% to 5,075. S&P 500 shed 4.4 points, or 0.22% to 2,058.70.