Closing stock market indices

Major stock markets outside the United States ended on Thursday.
EUROPE STOCKS EXCHANGE: European stocks broke a three-day losing run to end higher as acquisition and restructuring, coupled with high metal prices, took investors' minds off worries over the US mortgage market. The FTSEurofirst 300 index of top European shares ended up 1.83 percent at 1,453.57 points, its biggest one-day gain since a slide in global equities started on February 27.
FRANKFURT STOCKS EXCHANGE: The DAX index ended at 6,585.47 points, up 137.77 or 2.14 percent.
PARIS STOCKS EXCHANGE: The CAC-40 index closed at 5,389.85 points, up 93.63 or 1.77 percent.
ZURICH STOCKS EXCHANGE: The Swiss market index closed at 8,706.78 points, up 129.12 or 1.51 percent.
MILAN STOCKS EXCHANGE: The All Share Mibtel index closed at 31,156 points, up 459 or 1.50 percent.
SYDNEY STOCKS EXCHANGE: Shares rallied 1.93 percent, tracking a bounce on Wall Street and other Asian markets, as investors bought back beaten down stocks such as the top miners and banks. The S&P/ASX 200 index rose 111.1 points to 5,853.0.
JOHANNESBURG STOCKS EXCHANGE: Stocks bounced, led by paper producer Sappi, as investors gained confidence from an upswing in global markets. The All-share index closed at 25,662.31 points, up 412.25 or 1.63 percent. The All Gold index closed at 2,789.94 points, up 54.38 or 1.99 percent, while the Industrial index closed at 18,066.78 points, up 299.62 or 1.69 percent.