Closing stock market indices

Major stock markets outside the United States ended on Thursday.
EUROPEAN STOCKS EXCHANGE: European shares closed almost flat in choppy trade as gains in the banking and mining sectors offset losses in oils and utilities. The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index of top shares ended up a meagre 1.39 points at 745.33 points.
FRANKFURT STOCKS EXCHANGE: The DAX index ended at 4259.37 points, up 36.08 or 0.85 percent.
PARIS STOCKS EXCHANGE: The CAC-40 index closed at 2892.07 points, down 1.38 or 0.05 percent.
ZURICH STOCKS EXCHANGE: The Swiss market index closed at 4966.74 points, down 3.64 or 0.07 percent.
MILAN STOCKS EXCHANGE: The All Share Mibtel index closed at 13217 points, up 149 or 1.14 percent.
SYDNEY STOCKS EXCHANGE: Australian shares rose one percent, rising for a fourth straight day, with financials buoyed by hopes of a revival in global growth on the back of recent US government efforts to ease the credit crisis. The S&P/ASX 200 index finished 37.3 points higher at 3,646.6.
JOHANNESBURG STOCKS EXCHANGE: South African government bonds slid and financials led stocks lower as some investors scaled back hopes of aggressive interest rate cuts, while the rand firmed after US stocks opened positive. The All-share index closed at 21113.73 points, down 143.9 or 0.68 percent. The All Gold index closed at 2909.42 points, up 0.95 or 0.03 percent, while the Industrial index closed at 15485.41 points, down 118.11 or 0.76 percent.