Closing stock market indices

Major stock markets outside the United States ended on Wednesday.
EUROPE STOCKS EXCHANGE: European stocks rose 0.6 percent, lifted by banks after a Royal Bank of Scotland-led group launched a $98 billion bid for ABN Amro and by a strong quarterly report from tyre maker Michelin. The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index ended at 1,574.01 points, up 0.63 percent.
FRANKFURT STOCKS EXCHANGE: The DAX index ended at 7343.08 points, up 72.76 or 1.00 percent.
PARIS STOCKS EXCHANGE: The CAC-40 index closed at 5947.33 points, up 61.3 or 1.04 percent.
ZURICH STOCKS EXCHANGE: The Swiss market index closed at 9429.26 points, up 36.84 or 0.39 percent.
MILAN STOCKS EXCHANGE: The All Share Mibtel index closed at 33978 points, up 363 or 1.08 percent.
JOHANNESBURG STOCKS EXCHANGE: South African equities nudged higher as stronger global markets boosted sentiment but a firmer rand and softer platinum prices hurt some mining stocks. The All-share index closed at 28223.31 points, up 72.56 or 0.26 percent. The All Gold index closed at 2911.4 points, down 12.85 or 0.44 percent, while the Industrial index closed at 19740.63 points, up 56.75 or 0.29 percent.
SYDNEY STOCKS EXCHANGE: The Australian stock market was closed for a public holiday, Anzac Day. On Tuesday the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index fell 20.9 points to close at 6,188.2.