Closing stock market indices

Here is how major stock markets outside the United States ended on Thursday.
EUROPE STOCKS EXCHANGE: European stocks edged up to their highest closing level in two weeks, buoyed by energy stocks as markets continued to claw back from recent lows despite lingering interest rate concerns. British Airways tumbled following a raid by UK authorities over alleged price-fixing, while Allianz headed higher after unveiling a plan to slash jobs. "We're all obsessed by economic data and what the Fed's saying. We're still quite cautious. Inflation, interest rates, oil prices we think eventually have to have an impact on the growth rate of company profits," said Andrea Williams, head of European equities at Royal London Asset Management. "We feel nobody's factored that into analyst forecasts yet." The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index closed up 0.4 percent at 1,281.4 points, its highest finish since June 8.
FRANKFURT STOCKS EXCHANGE: The DAX index ended at 5,533.42 points, up 30.01 or 0.55 percent.
PARIS STOCKS EXCHANGE: The CAC-40 index closed at 4,803.29 points, up 28.56 or 0.60 percent.
ZURICH STOCKS EXCHANGE: The Swiss market index closed at 7,483.33 points, up 56.18 or 0.76 percent.
MILAN STOCKS EXCHANGE: The All Share Mibtel index closed at 27,132 points, up 100 or 0.37 percent.
SYDNEY STOCKS EXCHANGE: Stocks rose 1.87 percent to close above 5,000 for the first time in almost three weeks, led by global miner BHP on stronger metal prices, and by the big banks on upbeat housing market data. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index closed up 91.9 points at 5,010.8.
JOHANNESBURG STOCKS EXCHANGE: Gold mining stocks led the bourse higher thanks to buoyant prices for the yellow metal, while banks and industrials tumbled after the central bank governor's hawkish comments in parliament. The All-share index closed at 20,696.66 points, up 19.94 or 0.10 percent. The All Gold index closed at 2,966.42 points, up 162.7 or 5.80 percent, while the Industrial index closed at 13,581.83 points, down 179.48 or 1.30 percent.