Closing stock market indices

Here is how major stock markets outside the United States ended on Thursday.
EUROPE STOCKS EXCHANGE: European shares posted a mixed close as a sagging Wall Street undermined earlier gains made on strong financial-sector earnings and a softer crude price eroded the shares of heavyweight oil producers.
Equity markets were buoyed earlier in the session by forecast-beating results from blue chip companies such as Dutch insurer ING, Italian bank UniCredito and its take-over target, German banking group HVB. But while financial firms remained strong, gains on all major European indexes were surrendered after Wall Street slipped as a troubled General Motors hit a 23-year low and as oil prices slid to a 4-month low, knocking oil shares.
The FTSEurofirst index of pan-European shares closed 0.01 percent up at 1,225.4 points, about 1 percent below a 3-1/2 year peak of 1,242.24 points set in early October.
FRANKFURT STOCKS EXCHANGE: The DAX index ended at 5,015.55 points, up 4.17 or 0.08 percent.
PARIS STOCKS EXCHANGE: The CAC-40 index closed at 4,479.5 points, down 0.73 or 0.02 percent.
ZURICH STOCKS EXCHANGE: The Swiss market index closed at 7,243.14 points, up 4.66 or 0.06 percent.
MILAN STOCKS EXCHANGE: The All Share Mibtel index closed at 25,439 points, down 97 or 0.38 percent.
SYDNEY STOCKS EXCHANGE: Shares rose, helped by Telstra, the nation's dominant phone company, and Westpac Bank as investors switched out of National Australia Bank amid broker downgrades. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index added 17.6 points, or 0.39 percent, to end at 4,543.7.
JOHANNESBURG STOCKS EXCHANGE: Gold shares lifted the bourse as a weaker rand and stronger dollar prices for the metal lifted sentiment, while glossy paper producer Sappi starred after better-than-expected results.
The All-share index closed at 16,999.57 points, up 180.68 or 1.07 percent. The All Gold index closed at 2,198.96 points, up 117.9 or 5.67 percent, while the Industrial index closed at 12,326.94 points, down 16.02 or 0.13 percent.