Closing stock market indices

Major stock markets outside the United States ended on Friday.
EUROPE STOCKS EXCHANGE: European stocks dropped, snapping a three-day winning run as British lender Northern Rock became the latest casualty of a global financial crisis, hitting shares of other banks.
Northern Rock sank 31.5 percent after issuing a profit warning and tapping the Bank of England for emergency funds. It was the stock's biggest single day fall since entering the FTSE 100 index in October 1997, according to Reuters data.
The news sent shock waves through the European financial sector and put pressure on the shares of major US investment banks such as Lehman Brothers.
FRANKFURT STOCKS EXCHANGE: The DAX index ended at 7,497.74 points, down 38.23 or 0.51 percent, rising 61.11 points since last Friday.
PARIS STOCKS EXCHANGE: The CAC-40 index closed at 5,538.92 points, down 27.05 or 0.49 percent, adding 108.82 points since September 7.
ZURICH STOCKS EXCHANGE: The Swiss market index closed at 8,772.58 points, down 105.47 or 1.19 percent. The index gained 96.45 points on the week.
MILAN STOCKS EXCHANGE: The All Share Mibtel index closed at 30,397 points, down 241 or 0.79 percent, 204 points higher on the week.
SYDNEY STOCKS EXCHANGE: Shares rose 1.22 percent as Macquarie Bank Ltd led a rally in financial firms after it flagged a 40 percent rise first-half profit, while mining firms gained on firmer base metal prices. Australia's benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index rose 76.2 points to 6,306.8, its highest close since July 25. The index rose 28.4 points on the week.
JOHANNESBURG STOCKS EXCHANGE: South African bonds and the rand gained ground, partly on a weak dollar and a surging gold price, but stocks slipped on lingering jitters over a global credit squeeze. The All-share index closed at 28,928.05 points, down 158.32 or 0.54 percent, up 616.28 points over the last seven days. The All Gold index closed at 2,622.88 points, up 5.13 or 0.20 percent, a gain of 96.2 points on the week, while the Industrial index closed at 20,362.52 points, down 142.39 or 0.69 percent, up 507.02 points from last week.