Closing stock market indices

Major stock markets outside the United States ended on Thursday.
EUROPE STOCKS EXCHANGE: European stocks edged higher, helped by the absence of rate-hike signals from European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet, take-over talk in the mining sector and higher oil prices.
But the gains were balanced out by somewhat diminished hopes of seeing US Federal Reserve cut its benchmark rate, after robust US data. The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index closed 0.33 percent higher, at 1,527.68 points, after falling as low as 1,509.66 earlier in the session. The benchmark index, up 3 percent on the year so far, is still down 6.6 percent since reaching a multi-year high in mid-July.
FRANKFURT STOCKS EXCHANGE: The DAX index ended at 7,621.72 points, up 33.69 or 0.44 percent.
PARIS STOCKS EXCHANGE: The CAC-40 index closed at 5,576.62 points, up 25.07 or 0.45 percent.
ZURICH STOCKS EXCHANGE: The Swiss market index closed at 8,830.1 points, down 12.97 or 0.15 percent.
MILAN STOCKS EXCHANGE: The All Share Mibtel index closed at 30,830 points, up 56 or 0.18 percent.
SYDNEY STOCKS EXCHANGE: Shares fell 0.19 percent as US-focused stocks such as Brambles Ltd declined on fresh signs that a US housing slump was hurting the broader economy, while persistent credit worries kept banks under pressure.
The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index fell 11.7 points to 6,251.0 after falling as much as 1.2 percent earlier in the session.
JOHANNESBURG STOCKS EXCHANGE: South African stocks nipped higher, in step with global stocks and a solid performance from miners on the local bourse, while the rand firmed versus an ailing greenback. The All-share index closed at 28,850.19 points, up 153.52 or 0.53 percent.
The All Gold index closed at 2,406.92 points, up 26.63 or 1.12 percent, while the Industrial index closed at 20,263.64 points, up 19.96 or 0.10 percent.