Closing stock market indices

Here is how major stock markets outside the United States ended on Tuesday.
EUROPE STOCKS EXCHANGE: European share indexes ended little changed as insurer Axa fell after a mixed sales report and a retreat in oil prices hit heavyweight energy stocks, offsetting a surge by biotech firm Serono on take-over speculation.
Serono rallied 8 percent after the Wall Street Journal said the world's third-biggest biotech firm was looking for a buyer. Serono said it had hired US investment bank Goldman Sachs to explore strategic alternatives.
Autoroutes Paris-Rhin-Rhone, Sanef and ASF rose between 0.8 percent and 4.7 percent on hopes of a bidding war after industry sources and company officials said France had received up to 10 offers for the state's stake in the three motorway operators.
The FTSEurofirst 300 index of leading European blue chips ended 0.03 percent higher at 1,226.61 points.
FRANKFURT STOCKS EXCHANGE: The DAX index ended at 5,008.83 points, down 15.37 or 0.31 percent.
PARIS STOCKS EXCHANGE: The CAC-40 index closed at 4,503.62 points, down 0.03 points.
ZURICH STOCKS EXCHANGE: The Swiss market index closed at 7,257.48 points, up 3.81 or 0.05 percent.
MILAN STOCKS EXCHANGE: The All Share Mibtel index closed at 25,502 points, down 68 or 0.27 percent.
SYDNEY STOCKS EXCHANGE: Shares rose nearly one percent with the world's top two miners, BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto, climbing on the back of offshore gains and banking stocks aided by a steady interest rate outlook. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index rose 42.0 points, or 0.93 percent, to end at 4,554.5.
JOHANNESBURG STOCKS EXCHANGE: Banking stocks and industrials dragged the Johannesburg Securities Exchange off its record high as investors switched from interest rate sensitive stocks, while Johnnic starred. The All-share index closed at 16,789.35 points, down 268.49 or 1.57 percent. The All Gold index closed at 2,041.04 points, down 29.96 or 1.45 percent, while the Industrial index closed at 12,297 points, down 317.41 or 2.52 percent.