Closing stock market indices

Here is how major stock markets outside the United States ended on Thursday.
EUROPE STOCKS EXCHANGE: Concern that China's drive to cool its red-hot economy may curb global demand and hit corporate earnings drove European shares to a four-week closing low, hitting economy-sensitive stocks like miners.
A mixed set of earnings also failed to cheer up investors on one of Corporate Europe's busiest reporting days of the quarter.
German bank HVB slid nearly 10 percent as its first-quarter net profit came in at less than a third of market forecasts, but chemicals and drugs giant Bayer rallied 2.2 percent after saying its first-quarter core earnings may top analyst estimates by as much as 25-30 percent.
FRANKFURT STOCKS EXCHANGE: The DAX index ended at 4008.91 points, down 56.83 or 1.40 percent.
PARIS STOCKS EXCHANGE: The CAC-40 index closed at 3689.39 points, down 33.20 or 0.89 percent.
ZURICH STOCKS EXCHANGE: The Swiss market index closed at 5783.8 points, down 9.1 or 0.16 percent.
MILAN STOCKS EXCHANGE: The All Share Mibtel index closed at 21059 points, down 121 or 0.57 percent.
SYDNEY STOCKS EXCHANGE: Australian stocks fell to their lowest level in more than a month as miners slumped on concerns that base metal demand could soften as China tries to rein in its red-hot economy.
The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index finished at 3401.3, down 43.5 points or 1.26 percent.
JOHANNESBURG STOCKS EXCHANGE: South Africa's stock market fell, led by losses in platinum shares after the precious metal dropped to its lowest level since early December in European trade.
The All share index ended down 84.97 points or 0.80 percent to 10,526.55, the Gold index closed up 1.84 percent or 33.52 points to 1859.92, while the Industrial index ended down 1.65 percent or 126.46 points to 7531.87.
TOKYO STOCKS EXCHANGE: The Tokyo stock market was closed for the Greenery Day national holiday and trading resumes on Friday.
The market is also closed for the first three days of next week, the latter part of Japan's "Golden Week" holiday.
On Wednesday, the benchmark Nikkei average ended down 0.34 percent or 40.59 points to 12,004.29.