Closing stock market indices

Major stock markets outside the United States ended on Thursday.
EUROPE STOCKS EXCHANGE: European shares ended at a one-week closing as bearish analyst comment on semi-conductor stocks hurt technology shares and falling commodity prices pressured oils and miners. Financial stocks also suffered heavily following a broad sell-off, with Credit Agricole, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, UBS and Commerzbank down 2.4-2.9 percent.
The FTSEurofirst 300 index of top European shares ended down 1.6 percent at 1,011.71 points, the lowest close since November 10 and its third daily loss in a row as it registered its biggest one-day percentage fall in three weeks.
FRANKFURT STOCKS EXCHANGE: The DAX index ended at 5,702.18 points, down 85.43 or 1.48 percent.
PARIS STOCKS EXCHANGE: The CAC-40 index closed at 3,760.22 points, down 67.94 or 1.77 percent.
ZURICH STOCKS EXCHANGE: The Swiss market index closed at 6,286.81 points, down 82.16 or 1.29 percent.
MILAN STOCKS EXCHANGE: The FT IT All Share index closed at 23,259.19 points, down 495.19 or 2.08 percent.
SYDNEY STOCKS EXCHANGE: Australian shares edged up 0.2 percent in thin trade, underpinned by banks and property stocks after the top miners gave up early gains, while Insurance Australia Group climbed on bid hopes. The S&P/ASX 200 index rose 10.2 points to 4,749.2.
JOHANNESBURG STOCKS EXCHANGE: South African stocks followed global markets down, led by miners on faltering commodity prices, but brewer SABMiller surged higher after posting above-forecast results. The All-share index closed at 27,059.21 points, down 151.43 or 0.56 percent. The All Gold index closed at 2,555.66 points, down 65.52 or 2.50 percent, while the Industrial index closed at 21,159.42 points, up 70.86 or 0.34 percent.