Closing stock market indices

Here is how major stock markets outside the United States ended on Wednesday.
EUROPE STOCK EXCHANGE: Pan-European share indexes closed lower as weaker-than-expected US earnings dented hopes for a strong European profit season, despite bumper results from Swiss drugmaker Roche.
Comments from Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan that the US economic growth outlook was solid, inflation was contained and interest rates would keep rising was largely as expected, but disappointed some investors who had hoped an end to monetary tightening might be in sight.
A US warning that militants were planning fresh attacks in Saudi Arabia briefly pushed up crude oil prices and weighed on the oil and gas sector, which was already weak following the soft debut of the newly merged shares of Royal Dutch Shell.
FRANKFURT STOCK EXCHANGE: The DAX index ended at 4,784.5 points, up 13.96 or 0.29 percent.
PARIS STOCK EXCHANGE: The CAC-40 index closed at 4,418.39 points, down 5.86 or 0.13 percent.
ZURICH STOCK EXCHANGE: The Swiss market index closed at 6,510.67 points, up 28.53 or 0.44 percent.
MILAN STOCK EXCHANGE: The All Share Mibtel index closed at 25,570 points, down 82 or 0.32 percent.
SYDNEY STOCK EXCHANGE: Shares rebounded to a two-week closing high, driven by heavyweight mining stocks after stronger-than-expected Chinese GDP growth was seen boosting earnings prospects in the resource sector. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index rose 24.9 points or 0.58 percent to close at 4,301.2.
JOHANNESBURG STOCK EXCHANGE: Standard Bank nudged South African stocks to a new high as expectations of more foreign interest buoyed the sector, but the stronger rand early in the day hurt exporters. The All-share index closed at 14,878.22 points, up 10.27 or 0.07 percent. The All Gold index closed at 1,718.74 points, up 5.07 or 0.30 percent, while the Industrial index closed at 11,132.48 points, down 21.96 or 0.20 percent.