Closing stock market indices

Major stock markets outside the United States ended on Monday.
EUROPEAN STOCKS EXCHANGE: European equities closed sharply higher, with energy shares gaining strength from higher crude prices as cold weather gripped both sides of the Atlantic, and banks recovering from recent losses.
At the start of a week shortened by the Christmas holiday, the pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index rose 1.5 percent to close at 1,027.87 points, having fallen in the previous two sessions. The index is up more than 59 percent from the lifetime low it hit in early March, with several major economies having come out of recession.
FRANKFURT STOCKS EXCHANGE: The DAX index ended at 5,930.53 points, up 99.32 or 1.70 percent.
PARIS STOCKS EXCHANGE: The CAC-40 index closed at 3,872.06 points, up 77.62 or 2.05 percent.
ZURICH STOCKS EXCHANGE: The Swiss market index closed at 6,504.44 points, up 40.12 or 0.62 percent.
MILAN STOCKS EXCHANGE: The FT IT All Share index closed at 23,149.83 points, up 264.39 or 1.16 percent.
TOKYO STOCKS EXCHANGE: Japan's Nikkei average rose 0.41 percent to an eight-week closing high, boosted by gains in high-tech exporters such as Advantest Corp after rises in US rivals late last week, with additional help coming from a weaker yen. In thin trade, the Nikkei climbed 41.42 points to 10,183.47, its highest finish since October 27.
SYDNEY STOCKS EXCHANGE: Stocks edged down 0.33 percent, driven down by banks, but top airline Qantas Airways Ltd jumped after flagging a return to profit. The S&P/ASX 200 index slipped 15.4 points to 4,635.1, after rising almost 1 percent earlier in the day.
JOHANNESBURG STOCKS EXCHANGE: South Africa's rand slipped in thin holiday against a stronger dollar that dragged on the gold price, but Johannesburg bourse closed up, boosted by resources and financial shares. The All-share index closed at 27,495.42 points, up 149.42 or 0.55 percent. The All Gold index closed at 2,448.8 points, down 16.4 or 0.67 percent, while the Industrial index closed at 21,454.2 points, up 38.65 or 0.18 percent.