Closing stock market indices

Major stock markets outside the United States ended on Thursday.
EUROPE STOCK EXCHANGE: European stocks ended lower after a rollercoaster session, as a coordinated move by the world's leading central banks to ease the credit squeeze failed to halt the equities selloff which started on Monday. The FTSEurofirst 300 index of top European shares unofficially closed 0.6 percent lower at 1,063.69 points, falling for a fourth straight session.
FRANKFURT STOCK EXCHANGE: The DAX index ended at 5,863.42 points, up 2.44 or 0.04 percent.
PARIS STOCK EXCHANGE: The CAC-40 index closed at 3,957.86 points, down 42.25 or 1.06 percent.
ZURICH STOCK EXCHANGE: The Swiss market index closed at 6,623.25 points, down 31.08 or 0.47 percent.
MILAN STOCK EXCHANGE: The All Share Mibtel index closed at 19,710 points, down 296 or 1.48 percent.
SYDNEY STOCK EXCHANGE: Shares fell 2.43 percent to a near three-year closing low, as financial stocks led by investment bank Macquarie Group Ltd were dumped on concerns about the deepening global credit crisis.
The S&P/ASX 200 index gave up 114.9 points to end at 4,607.3, its lowest close since December 2005. The market has fallen 6 percent so far this week.
JOHANNESBURG STOCK EXCHANGE: The rand regained ground, buoyed by central bank moves to calm global markets, although stocks still fell for the fourth straight session.
The All-share index closed at 24,092.74 points, down 230.45 or 0.95 percent. The All Gold index closed at 1,852.07 points, up 98.88 or 5.64 percent, while the Industrial index closed at 17,722.42 points, down 482.78 or 2.65 percent.