Closing stock market indices

Major stock markets outside the United States ended on Wednesday.
EUROPE STOCKS EXCHANGE: European stocks fell back as worries over Greece's fiscal problems resurfaced, and a downward revision to euro zone growth highlighted the fragility of the recovery.
The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index of top shares fell 0.2 percent to a close of 1,098.16 points, after hitting an 18-month closing high for the second straight session on Tuesday. The European benchmark is up more than 70 percent from its lifetime low of March 9, 2009.
FRANKFURT STOCKS EXCHANGE: The DAX index ended at 6222.41 points, down 29.8 or 0.48 percent.
PARIS STOCKS EXCHANGE: The CAC-40 index closed at 4026.97 points, down 26.97 or 0.67 percent.
ZURICH STOCKS EXCHANGE: The Swiss market index closed at 6843.49 points, down 42.72 or 0.62 percent.
MILAN STOCKS EXCHANGE: The FT IT All Share index closed at 23665.52 points, down 181.75 or 0.76 percent.
SYDNEY STOCKS EXCHANGE: Shares edged up 0.15 percent to a fresh 18-month high, helped by healthcare stocks and merger activity in the resources sector that continued to buoy sentiment. The S&P/ASX 200 index ended up 7.2 points at 4,960.9, its highest closing level since September 24, 2008.
JOHANNESBURG STOCKS EXCHANGE: South Africa's rand steadied against the dollar on Wednesday as importer and central bank buying of the greenback offset the impact of a strong gold price while local stocks tracked global equities lower. The All-share index closed at 29265.17 points, down 102.57 or 0.35 percent. The All Gold index closed at 2326.55 points, up 3.81 or 0.16 percent, while the Industrial index closed at 22633.04 points, down 40.14 or 0.18 percent.