Closing stock market indices

Major stock markets outside the United States ended on Wednesday.
EUROPE STOCK EXCHANGE: European stocks ended at intraday lows following a sharp drop in coal prices which weighed heavily on mining stocks, while a solid recovery amid banks placed a cap on losses.
The FTSEurofirst 300 index of top European shares provisionally closed 0.65 percent lower at 1,167.92 points, after clocking up gains of 1.2 percent earlier in the session. The benchmark has now fallen on eight of the last 11 days.
FRANKFURT STOCK EXCHANGE: The DAX index ended at 6,305.42 points, down 10.52 or 0.17 percent.
PARIS STOCK EXCHANGE: The CAC-40 index closed at 4,296.48 points, down 44.73 or 1.03 percent.
ZURICH STOCK EXCHANGE: The Swiss market index closed at 6,843.75 points, down 5.92 or 0.09 percent.
MILAN STOCK EXCHANGE: The All Share Mibtel index closed at 22,403 points, up 109 or 0.49 percent.
SYDNEY STOCK EXCHANGE: Australian shares fell 0.9 percent, inching closer to a 2008 closing low, with top miners leading losses on worries about the economic impact of high oil prices, while retailer Just Group dropped on a profit warning.
The S&P/ASX 200 index lost 44.1 points to 5,094.8, just 8.7 points off its 2008 closing low of 5,086.1 set on March 18.
JOHANNESBURG STOCK EXCHANGE: South Africa's blue chip stocks plunged to a three-month low dragged down by resource counters, while the rand firmed to the dollar, supported by position squaring ahead of a US long weekend.
The All-share index closed at 29,303.69 points, down 700.07 or 2.33 percent. The All Gold index closed at 2,383.77 points, down 3.57 or 0.15 percent, while the Industrial index closed at 18,635.03 points, down 199.57 or 1.06 percent.