Closing stock market indices

Major stock markets outside the United States ended on Thursday.
EUROPEAN STOCKS EXCHANGE: A 28 percent collapse in shares of reinsurer Swiss Re and bleak economic data on both sides of the Atlantic, boding ill for corporate earnings, pulled down European stock markets in volatile trading.
The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index closed 0.1 percent lower at 810.49 points, well above its intra-day low of 792.48 points after a late rally tracking US stocks. US stocks rose on hopes a White House plan to shore up the financial system would help banks stem losses and revive lending.
FRANKFURT STOCKS EXCHANGE: The DAX index ended at 4,510.49 points, up 17.7 or 0.39 percent.
PARIS STOCKS EXCHANGE: The CAC-40 index closed at 3,066.29 points, down 2.7 or 0.09 percent.
ZURICH STOCKS EXCHANGE: The Swiss market index closed at 5,106.85 points, down 118.61 or 2.27 percent.
MILAN STOCKS EXCHANGE: The All Share Mibtel index closed at 14,370 points, up 21 or 0.15 percent.
SYDNEY STOCKS EXCHANGE: Australian shares nudged 0.3 percent lower as selling to fund purchases of a rush of cheap new equity and gloom in the property sector offset strong gains in miners, including Rio Tinto. The S&P/ASX 200 slipped 9.3 points to close at 3,428.6.
JOHANNESBURG STOCKS EXCHANGE: South Africa's rand firmed slightly against the dollar, taking in its stride a 1 percentage point domestic rate cut, while stocks fell, tracking global equity markets lower.
The All-share index closed at 20,437.2 points, down 201.87 or 0.98 percent. The All Gold index closed at 2,444.26 points, down 74.37 or 2.95 percent, while the Industrial index closed at 15,850.29 points, down 167.09 or 1.04 percent.