Closing stock market indices

Here is how major stock markets outside the United States ended on Wednesday.
EUROPE STOCK EXCHANGE: European shares fell on a broad front amid concerns about higher interest rates, with miners such as Anglo American extending their slide, offsetting robust company earnings and take-over talk.
The expiry of derivatives contracts on March 17 was also beginning to have an impact, said Giuseppe-Guido Amato, equity strategist at German brokerage Lang & Schwarz. "Those who have bought (stocks) at high levels are getting nervous, and others want to lock in profits," Amato said. The benchmark FTSEurofirst 300 index ended 0.77 percent down at 1,333.17 points, its lowest close since February 15.
FRANKFURT STOCK EXCHANGE: The DAX index ended at 5,673.36 points, down 65.92 or 1.15 percent.
PARIS STOCK EXCHANGE: The CAC-40 index closed at 4,969.51 points, down 22.7 or 0.45 percent.
ZURICH STOCK EXCHANGE: The Swiss market index closed at 7,831.52 points, down 32.74 or 0.42 percent.
MILAN STOCK EXCHANGE: The All Share Mibtel index closed at 28,636 points, down 185 or 0.64 percent.
SYDNEY STOCK EXCHANGE: Shares recovered from early lows to end nearly flat as gains in heavyweight banking stocks helped offset losses in miners, which were pressed lower by a sell-off in global metal prices. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index lost 6.7 points, or 0.14 percent, to close at 4,873.0.
JOHANNESBURG STOCK EXCHANGE: An emerging market sell-off by big funds and weaker gold prices rocked stocks further, but insurer Sanlam recovered ahead of issuing annual results on Thursday. The All-share index closed at 18,540.6 points, down 85.63 or 0.46 percent.
The All Gold index closed at 2,494.02 points, down 45.24 or 1.78 percent, while the Industrial index closed at 13,375.48 points, down 16.29 or 0.12 percent.