Closing stock market indices

Major stock markets outside the United States ended on Thursday.
EUROPE STOCK EXCHANGE: European stocks fell 0.1 percent in choppy trade as losses in banks and automobiles eclipsed gains in oil and defensive shares. The FTSEurofirst 300 index of top European shares ended 0.1 percent lower at 872.72 points, having earlier been as low as 845.75.
Banks topped the loser board. Credit Suisse dropped nearly 4.2 percent after the group made a 1.7 billion Swiss franc trading loss in the third quarter and warned the fourth quarter would be tough.
FRANKFURT STOCK EXCHANGE: The DAX index ended at 4,519.7 points, down 51.37 or 1.12 percent.
PARIS STOCK EXCHANGE: The CAC-40 index closed at 3,310.87 points, up 12.69 or 0.38 percent.
ZURICH STOCK EXCHANGE: The Swiss market index closed at 5,893.73 points, down 31.73 or 0.54 percent.
MILAN STOCK EXCHANGE: The All Share Mibtel index closed at 16,193 points, down 33 or 0.20 percent.
MELBOURNE STOCK EXCHANGE: Australian shares fell 4.4 percent, extending the previous day's slide, led by a 14.6 percent drop in miner Rio Tinto as global recession worries continued to hammer commodities prices. The S&P/ASX 200 index fell 181.7 points to 3,974.4, adding to a 3.4 percent slide on Wednesday.
JOHANNESBURG STOCK EXCHANGE: South Africa's rand firmed against the dollar as bargain-hunting boosted US stocks, while local shares were dragged lower by weaker commodity prices and negative sentiments.
The All-share index closed at 19,598.57 points, down 690.05 or 3.40 percent. The All Gold index closed at 1,621.27 points, down 96.21 or 5.60 percent, while the Industrial index closed at 15,622.26 points, down 631.39 or 3.88 percent.