Closing stock market indices

Major stock markets outside the United States ended on Friday.
EUROPE STOCKS EXCHNAGE: European shares rose 0.5 percent as stocks such as carmaker DaimlerChrysler were driven up by corporate restructuring talk and with energy stocks advancing on the back of a higher oil price. The FTSEurofirst 300 index of top European shares gained 0.51 percent to close unofficially at 1,523.34 points, having hit a four-week high on 1,524.59 points earlier. For the week the benchmark index rose more than 4.5 percent.
FRANKFURT STOCKS EXCHNAGE: The DAX index ended at 6899.06 points, up 42.1 or 0.61 percent on the day, gaining 319.19 points since last Friday.
PARIS STOCKS EXCHNAGE: The CAC-40 index closed at 5634.75 points, up 36.38 or 0.65 percent, winning 252,59 points since last weekend.
ZURICH STOCKS EXCHNAGE: The Swiss market index closed at 9089.85 points, up 15.6 or 0.17 percent on the day, and rising 372.22 over the week.
MILAN STOCKS EXCHNAGE: The All Share Mibtel index closed at 32462 points, up 201 or 0.62 percent, up 1344 points on the week.
SYDNEY STOCKS EXCHNAGE: Shares were little changed as doubts crept in on the prospects for a US interest rate cut, while Qantas Airways fell on fears an $8.7 billion bid for the airline could be scuttled by shareholder opposition. The S&P/ASX 200 index nudged down just 3.4 points, or 0.06 percent, to end at 5,952.3. The index rose 116 points on the week.
JOHANNESBURG STOCKS EXCHNAGE: Sasol and BHP Billiton led a cross-sector rally on the South African bourse partly driven by higher oil prices, which rose above $62 to a three-month high. The All-share index rose 0.97 percent or 258.72 points to close at 26,913.62 points, gaining 1,074.49 points during the week. The All Gold index closed at 2874.41 points, down 2.31 or 0.08 percent on the day, but up 38.84 points in the week. The Industrial index closed at 18715.60 points, up 144.17 or 0.78 percent and winning 571.52 points since last weekend.