Asian markets closed mixed ahead of the ECB disclosure, with Japan's Nikkei Stock Average adding 0.1% and China's Shanghai Composite losing 0.6%.

WSJ: Stocks Post Fourth-Straight Drop

European stocks closed slightly lower in a choppy session marked by mixed economic data and after Moody's Investors Service downgraded a number of European sovereign-debt ratings, including Spain, Italy and Portugal, and cut its outlook on triple-A-rated France, the U.K. and Austria.

WSJ: European Stocks Edge Lower

Markets were mixed in Asia, where the Nikkei of Japan closed down 0.1%, and the Sensex of India closed up 1%.

FORBES: Related Videos

In Europe Friday, indexes in Italy, France and Germany closed narrowly higher, while U.S. stocks were a mixed bag, with the major averages trading in a tight range after plunging Thursday.

FORBES: This Probably Isn't Europe's 'Lehman Weekend'