Closing stock market indices

Here is how major stock markets outside the United States ended on Tuesday.
EUROPE STOCK EXCHANGE: European shares ended a touch higher as gains by telecoms shares offset declines in energy stocks on weaker oil prices, while the recent flurry of take-over news slowed.
High dividend yields for telecommunications shares, after they were last year's weakest sector in Europe, helped produce a 1.2 percent gain by the DJ EuroStoxx sector index, with France Telecom up 2.9 percent and Vodafone rising 1.4 percent. "Telecoms have stabilised and could be a sector that has recovery potential," said Frank Schallenberger, an equity strategist at German Landesbank Baden-Wuerttemberg.
FRANKFURT STOCK EXCHANGE: The DAX index ended at 5,911.86 points, up 9.07 or 0.15 percent.
PARIS STOCK EXCHANGE: The CAC-40 index closed at 5,148.56 points, up 10.05 or 0.20 percent.
ZURICH STOCK EXCHANGE: The Swiss market index closed at 8,056.64 points, down 2.78 or 0.03 percent.
MILAN STOCK EXCHANGE: The All Share Mibtel index closed at 29,714 points, up 80 or 0.27 percent.
SYDNEY STOCK EXCHANGE: Australian shares edged lower, following Monday's rise past the 5,000 level, but miners BHP and Rio Tinto rose after Chinese state media said iron ore price negotiations could yield a 5-to-10 percent rise over last year. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index lost 9.1 points, or 0.18 percent, to close at 4,991.3.
JOHANNESBURG STOCK EXCHANGE: The South African stock market is closed for a public holiday, Human Rights Day. On Monday the All-share index closed at 20,138.47 points, up 317.8 or 1.60 percent. The All Gold index closed at 2,689.68 points, up 46.46 or 1.76 percent, while the Industrial index closed at 14,408.57 points, up 280.48 or 1.99 percent.
TOKYO STOCK EXCHANGE: Japanese markets were closed for the Spring Equinox holiday. On Monday the Nikkei rose 285.07 points to 16,624.80, the highest close since February 7.