Closing stock market indices

Major stock markets outside the United States ended on Thursday.
EUROPEAN STOCKS EXCHANGE: European shares slipped 3.2 percent to record their biggest one-day percentage drop in seven months as concerns about debt problems in Dubai weighed on the market, with banks the major fallers. The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index of top shares closed down 33.81 points at 988.14 - its lowest close in three weeks.
FRANKFURT STOCKS EXCHANGE: The DAX index ended at 5614.17 points, down 188.85 or 3.25 percent.
PARIS STOCKS EXCHANGE: The CAC-40 index closed at 3679.23 points, down 129.93 or 3.41 percent.
ZURICH STOCKS EXCHANGE: The Swiss market index closed at 6283.38 points, down 138.82 or 2.16 percent.
MILAN STOCKS EXCHANGE: The FT IT All Share index closed at 22361.31 points, down 813.57 or 3.51 percent.
SYDNEY STOCKS EXCHANGE: Australia shares closed lower as investors took stock of recent gains and held off taking new positions ahead of a holiday weekend in the United States. The S&P/ASX 200 index closed down 0.3 percent at 4,708.60.
JOHANNESBURG STOCKS EXCHANGE: South Africa's rand fell more than two percent against the dollar, reversing the previous day's strong gains as the greenback recovered broadly, helped by a downturn in appetite for risky assets. The All-share index closed at 27025.61 points, down 463.63 or 1.69 percent. The All Gold index closed at 2658.45 points, up 22.99 or 0.87 percent, while the Industrial index closed at 21007.75 points, down 324.79 or 1.52 percent.