Closing stock market indices

Major stock markets outside the United States ended on Wednesday.
EUROPE STOCKS EXCHANGE: European stocks rallied, as hopes the latest writedown signalled the beginning of the end of subprime-related losses offset the impact of comments on the economy from the Federal Reserve Chairman.
Fed chief Ben Bernanke said the US economy could contract in the first half of this year, supporting suspicions of many that it might already be in recession, and unemployment would move higher. Despite the bleak outlook, the FTSEurofirst 300 index closed up 1.2 percent at 1,317.84 points, a 5-week closing high.
FRANKFURT STOCKS EXCHANGE: The DAX index ended at 6,777.44 points, up 57.11 or 0.85 percent.
PARIS STOCKS EXCHANGE: The CAC-40 index closed at 4,911.97 points, up 45.97 or 0.94 percent.
ZURICH STOCKS EXCHANGE: The Swiss market index closed at 7,596.65 points, up 102.35 or 1.37 percent.
MILAN STOCKS EXCHANGE: The All Share Mibtel index closed at 25,281 points, up 393 or 1.58 percent.
SYDNEY STOCKS EXCHANGE: Australian shares rose 2.6 percent to a one-month high, led up by financials such as Macquarie Group after a capital boost by Lehman Brothers soothed concerns over troubled credit markets. The S&P/ASX 200 index rose 141.7 points to 5,502.9, a level not seen since March 3.
JOHANNESBURG STOCKS EXCHANGE: A rally in global market boosted South African stocks, rand and bonds, as investors found appetite for high risk assets again. The All-share index closed at 29,932.97 points, up 305.33 or 1.03 percent. The All Gold index closed at 2,402.69 points, up 11.01 or 0.46 percent, while the Industrial index closed at 20,003.41 points, up 45.68 or 0.23 percent.