Here is how major stock markets outside the United States ended on Wednesday.
The European Central Bank has virtually announced in advance that the outcome of its monetary policy meeting on Thursday will be a 25 basis-point raise in the 12-nation single currency bloc's main interest rate to 2.25 percent. The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index ended with a 0.53 percent drop at 1,236.06 points.