Closing stock market indices

Major stock markets outside the United States ended on Wednesday.
EUROPE STOCKS EXCHANGE: European shares hit a two-week closing high, boosted by financials after BNP Paribas' fourth-quarter profits beat forecasts and operational results from ING pleased investors. The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index of top shares closed up 1.3 percent at 1,015.10 points.
FRANKFURT STOCKS EXCHANGE: The DAX index ended at 5,648.34 points, up 56.22 or 1.01 percent.
PARIS STOCKS EXCHANGE: The CAC-40 index closed at 3,725.21 points, up 56.17 or 1.53 percent.
ZURICH STOCKS EXCHANGE: The Swiss market index closed at 6,567.6 points, up 69.94 or 1.08 percent.
MILAN STOCKS EXCHANGE: The FT IT All Share index closed at 22,139.49 points, up 340.71 or 1.56 percent.
SYDNEY STOCKS EXCHANGE: Stocks rallied 2.19 percent, the biggest one-day gain in 2-1/2 months, led by a surge in banking stocks as investors digested recent strong profit figures, and a jump in resources stocks. The S&P/ASX 200 index rose 100.1 points to 4,667.8.
JOHANNESBURG STOCKS EXCHANGE: The rand rose and short-dated government bonds gained after the government in its budget announced a smaller-than-expected budget deficit and raised its economic growth forecast for 2010. The All-share index closed at 27,192.58 points, up 252.78 or 0.94 percent. The All Gold index closed at 2,310.89 points, down 22.61 or 0.97 percent, while the Industrial index closed at 21,164.43 points, up 134.09 or 0.64 percent.