Here is how major stock markets outside the United States ended on Wednesday.
Take-over talk still gripped telecoms, sending French conglomerate Vivendi Universal up four percent on fresh talk that Britain's Vodafone might bid for the group to get control of Vivendi's SFR mobile unit.
Dutch telecom firm KPN gained 1.7 percent on a report it was in merger talks with France Telecom, which the French firm denied.
Meanwhile, Aviva rallied 3.4 percent to its best level since December 2002 in roughly twice the daily average volume after unveiling strong profit growth, as expected, and with a robust outlook and dividend increase.
The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index rose 3.8 points or 0.1 percent to close at 3332.7.
This All-share index finishing up 0.4 percent or 37.62 points to 10,752.12, the Gold index closed down 0.46 or 10.30 points to 2241.70, while the Industrial index ended down 0.12 percent or 8.25 points to 7060.57.