Closing stock market indices

Major stock markets outside the United States ended on Thursday.
EUROPE STOCK EXCHANGE: European shares fell to their lowest close since October 2005, with banks the heaviest-weighted losers after a bearish note from Goldman Sachs reignited fears of further losses in the sector.
The FTSEurofirst 300 closed down 2.5 percent at 1,197.02 points, suffering its worst one-day percentage fall since mid-March.
FRANKFURT STOCK EXCHANGE: The DAX index ended at 6,459.6 points, down 158.24 or 2.39 percent.
PARIS STOCK EXCHANGE: The CAC-40 index closed at 4,426.19 points, down 110.1 or 2.43 percent.
ZURICH STOCK EXCHANGE: The Swiss market index closed at 6,949.73 points, down 131.64 or 1.86 percent.
MILAN STOCK EXCHANGE: The All Share Mibtel index closed at 22,730 points, down 452 or 1.95 percent.
SYDNEY STOCK EXCHANGE: Shares rose 1.32 percent, driven up by rallying bank stocks on financial year-end bargain hunting and after the Federal Reserve gave a more upbeat view on the US economy. The S&P/ASX 200 index finished up 69.2 points at 5,307.0, notching up its biggest one-day percentage gain since May 2.
JOHANNESBURG STOCK EXCHANGE: Bond yields surged after worse-than-expected PPI data, while the rand was weaker and resource stocks supported local shares. The All-share index closed at 29,988.12 points, up 23.57 or 0.08 percent.
The All Gold index closed at 2,265.69 points, up 119.52 or 5.57 percent, while the Industrial index closed at 19,423.48 points, down 225.81 or 1.15 percent.