Closing stock market indices

Here is how major stock markets outside the United States ended on Wednesday.
EUROPE STOCK EXCHANGE: European shares closed at a near six-week low after oil prices spiked to a new record and a profit warning from US auto giant General Motors hit car stocks such as DaimlerChrysler. Data showing the US current account deficit grew to record in the fourth quarter hurt the dollar and also weighed on stocks.
US light crude futures hit a peak of $56.35 a barrel, the highest since the contract was introduced in 1983, after sharp falls in weekly US gasoline and heating oil supplies raised fears about tight global fuel supplies. Oil cartel Opec said it would increase production by 2 percent, but some analysts said that was not enough to cool prices.
FRANKFURT STOCK EXCHANGE: The DAX index ended at 4309.11 points, down 78.58 or 1.79 percent.
PARIS STOCK EXCHANGE: The CAC-40 index closed at 4019.40 points, down 58.34 or 1.43 percent.
ZURICH STOCK EXCHANGE: The Swiss market index closed at 5944.75 points, down 66.70 or 1.11 percent.
MILAN STOCK EXCHANGE: The All Share Mibtel index closed at 24110 points, down 273 or 1.12 percent.
SYDNEY STOCK EXCHANGE: Australian stocks ended firmer, buoyed by optimism before the big banks report earnings, but a second straight day of light, steady selling of blue chip miners trimmed gains. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index ended 19.0 points or 0.5 percent ahead at 4,244.4.
JOHANNESBURG STOCK EXCHANGE: Investors hammered Africa's biggest mobile phone operator MTN shares for a second day, weakening South African stocks, but Anglo American Plc led miners higher due to a weaker rand.
The All-share index closed at 13555.05, down 33.88 points or 0.25 percent, the Gold index closed at 1744.16, up 41.38 points or 2.43 percent, while the Industrial index closed at 9911.87, down 172.76 points or 1.71 percent.