Closing stock market indices

Major stock markets outside the United States ended on Wednesday.
EUROPEAN STOCKS EXCHANGE: European shares closed higher, with drugmakers boosted by broker upgrades, while banks fell on a profit warning at Societe Generale and oil firms were hurt by weaker crude.
The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index rose 0.2 percent to close at 1,056.49 points, having gone in and out of positive territory several times during the session. The European benchmark is up more than 63 percent from its lifetime low on March 9, as several major economies have emerged from recession and corporate profitability has improved.
FRANKFURT STOCKS EXCHANGE: The DAX index ended at 5,963.14 points, up 20.14 or 0.34 percent.
PARIS STOCKS EXCHANGE: The CAC-40 index closed at 4,000.86 points, up 0.81 or 0.02 percent.
ZURICH STOCKS EXCHANGE: The Swiss market index closed at 6,554.55 points, up 12.65 or 0.19 percent.
MILAN STOCKS EXCHANGE: The FT IT All Share index closed at 24,059.64 points, up 66.37 or 0.28 percent.
SYDNEY STOCKS EXCHANGE: Australian stocks lost 0.6 percent, dragged down by a poor start to the US earnings season and concerns over the pace of global economic recovery after China's surprise move to tighten monetary policy. The S&P/ASX 200 index fell 31.3 points to 4,868.1, adding to Tuesday's one percent fall.
JOHANNESBURG STOCKS EXCHANGE: South Africa's rand steadied against dollar the dollar, reversing earlier gains on local importer demand while local stocks edged higher in line with global equities. The All-share index closed at 28,067 points, up 9.32 or 0.03 percent. The All Gold index closed at 2,441.9 points, down 58.64 or 2.35 percent, while the Industrial index closed at 21,364.12 points, up 185.31 or 0.87 percent.