Closing stock market indices

Here is how major stock markets outside the United States ended on Tuesday.
EUROPE STOCK EXCHANGE: European shares fell, held back by weaker energy stocks and as investors awaited the start of the first-quarter earnings season to see whether a near 8 percent equity rally since January was justified.
The M&A theme continued to support selected stocks such as British utility Severn Trent, Belgian steel cord group Bekaert and German lender Depfa Bank. But Arcelor fell nearly 1 percent on news it would distribute 5 billion euros to shareholders in a step to fend off a $25.1 billion bid from rival Mittal Steel.
FRANKFURT STOCK EXCHANGE: The DAX index ended at 6,013.85 points, down 10.2 or 0.17 percent.
PARIS STOCK EXCHANGE: The CAC-40 index closed at 5,205.81 points, down 49.45 or 0.94 percent.
ZURICH STOCK EXCHANGE: The Swiss market index closed at 8,051.62 points, down 26.9 or 0.33 percent.
MILAN STOCK EXCHANGE: The All Share Mibtel index closed at 29,438 points, down 165 or 0.56 percent.
SYDNEY STOCK EXCHANGE: Australian shares peeled back from record peaks to end lower, as banking sector stocks such as ANZ Banking slipped, but strong metals prices lifted miners like BHP and Lihir Gold. The S&P/ASX 200 Index fell 18.0 points, or 0.35 percent, to 5,162.5.
JOHANNESBURG STOCK EXCHANGE: AngloGold Ashanti led South Africa's bourse lower on the back of a stronger rand, which hit some resource stocks but not others such as Anglo American which have a wider metals portfolio. The All-share index closed at 20,647.6 points, down 64.15 or 0.31 percent. The All Gold index closed at 2,882.58 points, down 57.2 or 1.95 percent, while the Industrial index closed at 14,471.21 points, down 22.14 or 0.15 percent.