Closing stock market indices

Major stock markets outside the United States ended on Tuesday.
EUROPE STOCKS EXCHANGE: A key European stock index fell to a lifetime closing low, led lower by oil stocks as crude prices slipped towards $40 a barrel. The FTSEurofirst 300 fell 1.9 percent to 669.64 points, the lowest close since the index's inception in July 1997. It has fallen for seven of the last eight sessions. The broader STOXX 600 benchmark fell 1.8 percent, having hit lows not seen since late 1996.
FRANKFURT STOCKS EXCHANGE: The DAX index ended at 3,690.72 points, down 19.35 or 0.52 percent.
PARIS STOCKS EXCHANGE: The CAC-40 index closed at 2,554.55 points, down 26.91 or 1.04 percent.
ZURICH STOCKS EXCHANGE: The Swiss market index closed at 4,358 points, down 80.27 or 1.81 percent.
MILAN STOCKS EXCHANGE: The All Share Mibtel index closed at 11,530 points, down 286 or 2.42 percent.
SYDNEY STOCKS EXCHANGE: Stocks recovered two-thirds of their losses to close down 0.95 percent after the central bank held interest rates steady, which investors took as a thumbs up for the Australian economy. The S&P/ASX 200 index lost 30.9 points to close at 3,219.2, holding above last year's low, after earlier touching a fresh five-year low of 3,153.5.
JOHANNESBURG STOCKS EXCHANGE: South African stocks skidded to a fresh 3-month closing low as a weaker gold price hammered miners of the precious metal and Sappi lost a fifth of its value, a day after it forecast a second-quarter loss. The All-share index closed at 18,120.69 points, down 265.85 or 1.45 percent. The All Gold index closed at 2,570.15 points, down 144.3 or 5.32 percent, while the Industrial index closed at 14,052.8 points, down 218.62 or 1.53 percent.