Closing stock market indices

Major stock markets outside the United States ended on Thursday.
EUROPEAN STOCKS EXCHANGE: European shares closed lower, with banks and oil stocks the major losers and Ericsson falling after disappointing results. The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index of top shares closed down 1.1 percent at 1,014.72 points.
The benchmark index is still up 57 percent from its lifetime low on March 9, but down 38 percent since reaching its mid-2007 peak. "These markets are due for a bout of consolidation, if anyone is looking to book some profits this is as good as time as any," said Mike Lenhoff, strategist at Brewin Dolphin.
FRANKFURT STOCKS EXCHANGE: The DAX index ended at 5,762.93 points, down 70.56 or 1.21 percent.
PARIS STOCKS EXCHANGE: The CAC-40 index closed at 3,820.85 points, down 52.37 or 1.35 percent.
ZURICH STOCKS EXCHANGE: The Swiss market index closed at 6,405.91 points, down 28.75 or 0.45 percent.
MILAN STOCKS EXCHANGE: The FT IT All Share index closed at 24,323.5 points, down 374.8 or 1.52 percent.
SYDNEY STOCKS EXCHANGE: Australian stocks dipped 0.5 percent with little direction from local companies in their quarterly updates and doubts about the US recovery weighing on stocks with big US arms. The S&P/ASX 200 index shed 25.8 points to end at 4,812.8, adding to Wednesday's 0.2 percent fall.
JOHANNESBURG STOCKS EXCHANGE: South Africa's rand reversed earlier sharp losses against the dollar, which were partly triggered by a report - later denied by the government - that it planned to freeze the currency. The All-share index closed at 26,731.89 points, up 167.24 or 0.63 percent. The All Gold index closed at 2,598.33 points, up 15.85 or 0.61 percent, while the Industrial index closed at 20,965.34 points, up 139.85 or 0.67 percent.