Closing stock market indices

Major stock markets outside the United States ended on Wednesday.
EUROPE STOCKS EXCHANGE: European shares staged their largest daily fall since the onset of the credit crisis in August, led by tumbling banking stocks, while oil and the euro at record highs hit exporters. The FTSEurofirst 300 index of leading European shares fell by 2.48 percent to 1,443.23, making this its worst daily slide since August 16, just before the US Federal Reserve cut its lending rate for banks to unfreeze the credit markets.
FRANKFURT STOCKS EXCHANGE: The DAX index ended at 7,518.42 points, down 111.89 or 1.47 percent.
PARIS STOCKS EXCHANGE: The CAC-40 index closed at 5,381.3 points, down 125.38 or 2.28 percent.
ZURICH STOCKS EXCHANGE: The Swiss market index closed at 8,125.42 points, down 213.53 or 2.56 percent.
MILAN STOCKS EXCHANGE: The All Share Mibtel index closed at 28,639 points, down 567 or 1.94 percent.
SYDNEY STOCKS EXCHANGE: Fell 0.64 percent to their lowest close in nearly nine weeks as growing credit concerns saw the major banks such as National Australia Bank Ltd come under renewed selling pressure. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index fell 41.1 points to 6,384.3, its lowest closing level since September 21.
JOHANNESBURG STOCKS EXCHANGE: Stocks ended in the red as investors continued to withdraw from high-risk assets on lingering concerns about the US economy, pulling the rand to a one-week low. The All-share index closed at 29,146.35 points, down 395.75 or 1.34 percent. The All Gold index closed at 2,450.05 points, down 6.12 or 0.25 percent, while the Industrial index closed at 20,378.53 points, down 510.54 or 2.44 percent.