Closing stock market indices

Major stock markets outside the United States ended on Monday.
EUROPE STOCKS EXCHANGE: European stocks ended the day at their lowest closing level in more than four months on persistent worries over the crisis in the credit market, while a sharp drop in crude oil prices hit energy shares.
The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index closed 0.87 percent lower at 1,503.91. The benchmark index, still up a meagre 1.4 percent on the year, has sunk 7.8 percent since hitting a 6-1/2 year closing high of 1,630.32 on July 16, affected by fears that tightening credit conditions would dry up the flow of leveraged buyouts.
FRANKFURT STOCKS EXCHANGE: The DAX index ended at 7,444.45 points, up 8.78 or 0.12 percent.
PARIS STOCKS EXCHANGE: The CAC-40 index closed at 5,532.99 points, down 64.9 or 1.16 percent.
ZURICH STOCKS EXCHANGE: The Swiss market index closed at 8,639.88 points, down 31.55 or 0.36 percent.
MILAN STOCKS EXCHANGE: The All Share Mibtel index closed at 30,620 points, down 295 or 0.95 percent.
SYDNEY STOCKS EXCHANGE: Shares fell 1.67 percent after fresh signs of weakness in global credit markets hit financial stocks such as Macquarie Bank Ltd, while resource stocks dropped on a fall in base metal and oil prices.
The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index lost 100.8 points to 5,920.2, after falling as much as 2.2 percent earlier in the session and adding to a 1 percent decline last week. It was its lowest close since April 2.
JOHANNESBURG STOCKS EXCHANGE: Stocks slid to their lowest level in more than 4 months after gold producer Harmony Gold forecast a fourth-quarter loss and announced the shock exit of its CEO, hitting mining shares. The All-share index closed at 26,904.48 points, down 677.53 or 2.46 percent.
The All Gold index closed at 2,331.38 points, down 189.61 or 7.52 percent, while the Industrial index closed at 18,984.38 points, down 479.37 or 2.46 percent.