Closing stock market indices

Major stock markets outside the United States ended on Wednesday.
EUROPE STOCKS EXCHANGE: European stocks inched higher, adding to the previous session's hefty gains as record high oil prices boosted energy shares, while telecom stocks rallied on the back of an upbeat note from J.P. Morgan.
Tech stocks sagged after US firm Texas Instruments Inc disappointed investors by leaving its outlook unchanged, halting a trend of improving forecasts among tech firms. Nokia, whose key chip supplier is Texas Instruments, was the biggest negative weight in the European market, down 2.4 percent. After spending much of the session in the red, the pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index closed 0.2 percent higher, at 1,510.27.
FRANKFURT STOCKS EXCHANGE: The DAX index ended at 7,472.99 points, up 15.09 or 0.20 percent.
PARIS STOCKS EXCHANGE: The CAC-40 index closed at 5,508.01 points, up 29.07 or 0.53 percent.
ZURICH STOCKS EXCHANGE: The Swiss market index closed at 8,783.96 points, up 66.8 or 0.77 percent.
MILAN STOCKS EXCHANGE: The All Share Mibtel index closed at 30,447 points, up 55 or 0.18 percent.
SYDNEY STOCKS EXCHANGE: Shares erased early gains to fall 0.24 percent as persistent worries about the health of the US economy kept US-focused firms like CSL Ltd under pressure, offsetting gains in miners on strong metal prices. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index ended down 15.2 points at 6,220.3.
JOHANNESBURG STOCKS EXCHANGE: South Africa's rand was firmer against the dollar, partly buoyed by a firm gold price, but equities closed weaker with banking stocks leading the decline. The All-share index closed at 28,730.17 points, down 127.97 or 0.44 percent.
The All Gold index closed at 2,600.03 points, up 71.44 or 2.83 percent, while the Industrial index closed at 20,347.65 points, down 100.93 or 0.49 percent.