Closing stock market indices

Major stock markets outside the United States ended on Wednesday.
EUROPE STOCKS EXCHANGE: European shares snapped a five-day losing streak, powered higher by soaring commodity prices, hopes of an imminent bailout for bond insurer Ambac and encouraging US service sector data.
The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 ended up 1.66 percent at 1,301.17 points, still leaving it down nearly 14 percent so far this year. Banks and commodity stocks were the top-weighted gainers. HSBC rose 2.5 percent, HBOS 5.7 percent, Societe Generale 3.3 percent and BNP Paribas 2.5 percent.
FRANKFURT STOCKS EXCHANGE: The DAX index ended at 6,683.71 points, up 138.67 or 2.12 percent.
PARIS STOCKS EXCHANGE: The CAC-40 index closed at 4,756.42 points, up 80.51 or 1.72 percent.
ZURICH STOCKS EXCHANGE: The Swiss market index closed at 7,338.82 points, up 62.87 or 0.86 percent.
MILAN STOCKS EXCHANGE: The All Share Mibtel index closed at 25,569 points, up 578 or 2.31 percent.
SYDNEY STOCKS EXCHANGE: Australian shares erased early gains to end little changed, after financial stocks like Westpac Bank turned negative as worries about credit markets and a US recession crept back.
The S&P/ASX 200 index nudged down 0.1 percent, or 3.7 points, to 5,376.6, after falling a total of 6.7 percent in the previous four sessions.
JOHANNESBURG STOCKS EXCHANGE: South Africa's stocks buckled on profit-taking, led by resources, after strong gains the past week, but the rand reversed recent losses. The All-share index closed at 30,519.83 points, down 365.19 or 1.18 percent.
The All Gold index closed at 2,645.31 points, down 23.93 or 0.90 percent, while the Industrial index closed at 18,938.47 points, down 237.62 or 1.24 percent.