Closing stock market indices

Major stock markets outside the United States ended on Thursday.
EUROPE STOCKS ECHANGE: European equities slipped for the seventh session in a row, as financial stocks struggled to find a floor following mounting sector losses and energy shares tracked falling crude oil prices. The FTSEurofirst 300 index of top European shares closed 0.9 percent lower at 796.32 points.
Banks were the biggest sectoral losers on the pan-European index, with Deutsche Postbank sliding 18.7 percent, Lloyds TSB slipping 11.7 percent, BNP Paribas shedding 6.6 percent, HSBC down 7 percent and Barclays dropping 8.2 percent.
FRANKFURT STOCKS ECHANGE: The DAX index ended at 4336.73 points, down 85.62 or 1.94 percent.
PARIS STOCKS ECHANGE: The CAC-40 index closed at 2995.88 points, down 56.12 or 1.84 percent.
ZURICH STOCKS ECHANGE: The Swiss market index closed at 5382.44 points, up 3.63 or 0.07 percent.
MILAN STOCKS ECHANGE: The All Share Mibtel index closed at 14526 points, down 212 or 1.44 percent.
SYDNEY STOCKS ECHANGE: Shares posted their biggest single-day drop in more than two months, with miners such as Rio Tinto leading losses as global demand concerns took a toll on metals prices. The S&P/ASX 200 index fell 157.5 points to 3,529.5, its lowest close in more than a month. The 4.27 percent drop was the biggest fall since November 13.
JOHANNESBURG STOCKS ECHANGE: South African markets remained on the back foot, with stocks notching up a seventh consecutive day of losses, tracking weaker global stocks, and the rand hovering near a one-month low to the dollar. The All-share index closed at 20441.93 points, down 401.1 or 1.92 percent. The All Gold index closed at 2051.08 points, down 98.05 or 4.56 percent, while the Industrial index closed at 16004.92 points, down 92.33 or 0.57 percent.