Closing stock market indices

Major stock markets outside the United States ended on Tuesday
EUROPE STOCKS EXCHANGE: European shares slipped, with investors cautious ahead of the Federal Reserve's monetary policy meeting, though gains in construction stocks after strong US housing data limited losses. Technology stocks were also a drag on the market. Nokia fell 4.5 percent after the world's top cellphone maker said it would delay again its flagship smartphone N8 model. The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index closed 0.5 percent lower at 1,082.47 points.
FRANKFURT STOCKS EXCHANGE: The DAX index ended at 6,275.98 points, down 18.6 or 0.30 percent.
PARIS STOCKS EXCHANGE: The CAC-40 index closed at 3,784.4 points, down 3.61 or 0.10 percent.
ZURICH STOCKS EXCHANGE: The Swiss market index closed at 6,420.4 points, down 41.58 or 0.64 percent.
MILAN STOCKS EXCHANGE: The FT IT All Share index closed at 21,302.65 points, down 10.49 or 0.05 percent.
SYDNEY STOCKS EXCHANGE: Australian shares shed early gains to close slightly lower as investors sat on the sidelines ahead of a Federal Reserve meeting expected to give further insights into the health of the US economy. The S&P/ASX 200 index closed 13.85 points lower at 4,617.5.
JOHANNESBURG STOCKS EXCHANGE: South African rand firmed slightly against the dollar but was off its day's high after the IMF said it was over-valued. The All-share index closed at 28,724.74 points, up 13.81 or 0.05 percent. The All Gold index closed at 2,504.5 points, down 21.74 or 0.86 percent, while the Industrial index closed at 24,192.87 points, up 133.43 or 0.55 percent.