Closing stock market indices

Major stock markets outside the United States ended on Wednesday.
EUROPEAN STOCKS EXCHANGE: European shares ended higher for a third straight session as a 50 percent surge in Lloyds Banking Group boosted the financial sector that has struggled due to heavy toxic debt and massive writedowns.
Optimism that the new US administration was moving quickly to stabilise the ailing banking sector and Wells Fargo's announcement that it was maintaining its dividend and did not need more taxpayer funds also improved sentiment, analysts said. The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index ended 3.2 percent higher at 810.82 points, but is still down 2.6 percent this year after plunging 45 percent in 2008 on a credit crisis and an economic slowdown that threatens to become a slump.
FRANKFURT STOCKS EXCHANGE: The DAX index ended at 4,518.72 points, up 195.3 or 4.52 percent.
PARIS STOCKS EXCHANGE: The CAC-40 index closed at 3,076.01 points, up 121.48 or 4.11 percent.
ZURICH STOCKS EXCHANGE: The Swiss market index closed at 5,417.93 points, up 69.02 or 1.29 percent.
MILAN STOCKS EXCHANGE: The All Share Mibtel index closed at 14,508 points, up 341 or 2.41 percent.
SYDNEY STOCKS EXCHANGE: Australian shares rose 1.5 percent, powered by banks, though top property stock Westfield Group and building materials group Boral slid on profit warnings. The S&P/ASX 200 index rose 51.5 points to 3,494.5.
JOHANNESBURG STOCKS EXCHANGE: South Africa's rand and equities notched up a third straight day of gains as investors shuffled back into riskier assets, boosted by hopes of some relief for the ailing global economy. The All-share index closed at 21,028.54 points, up 385.8 or 1.87 percent. The All Gold index closed at 2,408.5 points, down 142.09 or 5.57 percent, while the Industrial index closed at 16,317.09 points, up 239.21 or 1.49 percent.