Closing stock market indices

Here is how major stock markets outside the United States ended on Monday.
EUROPE STOCKS EXCHANGE: European shares prices edged higher as weakness in oil companies was outweighed by confidence in a solid first-quarter earnings season and slightly reduced fears that the US Federal Reserve will soon raise interest rates in the world's largest economy.
British retailers were in the spotlight with bookseller WH Smith jumping 34.5 percent after saying it had received a preliminary bid approach from a private equity firm.
Fellow retailer Marks & Spencer also rose, up 4.5 percent after a media report said prospective bidders had been circulating the firm after its disappointing results last week.
FRANKFURT STOCKS EXCHANGE: The DAX index ended at 4,025.07 points, down 8.91 or 0.22 percent.
PARIS STOCKS EXCHANGE: The CAC-40 index closed at 3,743.43 points, down 8.16 or 0.22 percent.
ZURICH STOCKS EXCHANGE: The Swiss market index closed at 5,787.8 points, up 17.9 or 0.31 percent.
MILAN STOCKS EXCHANGE: The All Share Mibtel index closed at 21,121 points, down 35 or 0.17 percent.
SYDNEY STOCKS EXCHANGE: Australian stocks rebounded from three-week lows thanks to gains in global miners and media giant News Corp, but National Australia Bank dipped amid ongoing negative sentiment for the company.
The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index gained 15.8 points, or 0.46 percent, to close at 3,433.1.
JOHANNESBURG STOCKS EXCHANGE: South African stocks tracked global equity markets lower - despite a softening in the rand - although steel group Iscor bucked the weaker trend as investors saw value in the stock.
The All-share index closed at 10,705.81 points, down 51.35 or 0.48 percent.
The All Gold index closed at 2,036.22 points, down 6.13 or 0.30 percent, while the Industrial index closed at 7,481.64 points, down 4.44 or 0.06 percent.