Closing stock market indices

Major stock markets outside the United States ended on Thursday.
EUROPEAN STOCKS EXCHANGE: European shares ended lower in a choppy session as investors digested a raft of earnings news, banks retreated from earlier gains and US home sales data disappointed investors. The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index of top shares was down 0.4 percent at 791.95 points, having been up as much as 801.27 points earlier.
FRANKFURT STOCKS EXCHANGE: The DAX index ended at 4,538.21 points, down 56.21 or 1.22 percent.
PARIS STOCKS EXCHANGE: The CAC-40 index closed at 3,008.62 points, down 16.62 or 0.55 percent.
ZURICH STOCKS EXCHANGE: The Swiss market index closed at 5,023.9 points, down 39.8 or 0.79 percent.
MILAN STOCKS EXCHANGE: The All Share Mibtel index closed at 14,407 points, up 38 or 0.26 percent.
SYDNEY STOCKS EXCHANGE: Shares rose 2.04 percent with a buy-out approach for brewer Lion Nathan lifting sentiment, while buying of blue chips such as National Australia Bank picked up as options expired. The S&P/ASX 200 index rose 74.8 points to 3,743.0, following a 0.3 percent decline the previous day.
JOHANNESBURG STOCKS EXCHANGE: The rand slipped as the ruling ANC moved towards a resounding election win, while stocks muscled higher with financials rebounding from a sell-off earlier this week. The All-share index closed at 20,322.48 points, up 524.05 or 2.65 percent. The All Gold index closed at 2,355.1 points, up 52.85 or 2.30 percent, while the Industrial index closed at 15,480.73 points, up 276.26 or 1.82 percent.