Closing stock market indices

Here is how major stock markets outside the United States ended on Wednesday.
EUROPE STOCKS EXCHANGE: Easing worries of sharp US monetary tightening helped European shares close at a six-week best, and oil stocks lent strength after attacks that knocked out Iraq's crude exports pushed oil prices higher.
Standout movers included Italian eyewear group Luxottica, up 3.6 percent after it sealed a five-year licensing agreement with fashion house Donna Karan, while bid target Marks & Spencer added 1.8 percent on talk that tycoon Philip Green could be about to sweeten his offer for the UK retailer.
The FTSE Eurotop 300 index of pan-European blue chips added 0.95 percent to close near session highs at 1,007.13 points - despite weakness on Wall Street.
The narrower DJ Euro Stoxx 50 index rose 0.77 percent to 2,807.15.
FRANKFURT STOCKS EXCHANGE: The DAX index ended at 4,003.24 points, up 15.94 or 0.40 percent.
PARIS STOCKS EXCHANGE: The CAC-40 index closed at 3,714.5 points, up 31.07 or 0.84 percent.
ZURICH STOCKS EXCHANGE: The Swiss market index closed at 5,710 points, up 38.3 or 0.68 percent.
MILAN STOCKS EXCHANGE: The All Share Mibtel index closed at 21,118 points, up 69 or 0.33 percent.
SYDNEY STOCKS EXCHANGE: Stocks bounced back as investors took heart after a key US inflation report allayed fears of a big interest rate hike in the United States.
The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index rose 18.4 points, or 0.53 percent, to 3,486.8 according to latest available data, recouping all of Tuesday's 0.3 percent loss when buyers sat on the sidelines ahead of the US consumer price index data.
JOHANNESBURG STOCKS EXCHANGE: The stock market was closed on Wednesday for a public holiday for Youth Day. It will re-open tomorrow.
On Tuesday, the All-share index closed at 10,100.9 points, down 80.41 or 0.79 percent.
The All Gold index closed at 1,637.85 points, down 42.35 or 2.52 percent, while the Industrial index closed at 7,380.88 points, down 68.08 or 0.91 percent.