Closing stock market indices

Major stock markets outside the United States ended on Thursday.
EUROPE STOCKS EXCHANGE: European shares slipped to their lowest close in a week, losing nearly 1 percent as interest rate worries hit banks and real estate stocks, and the cost of insuring against debt defaults rose.
The FTSEurofirst 300 index of top European stocks ended 0.99 percent lower at 1,604.18 points, with bank shares accounting for a quarter of the index's losses.
Credit markets which have fuelled a merger and acquisition boom, a major driver of a four-year equities bull run, remained in focus after Wall Street banks unwound positions in two Bear Stearns hedge funds heavily invested in the riskiest US home loans.
FRANKFURT STOCKS EXCHANGE: The DAX index ended at 7,964.71 points, down 125.78 or 1.55 percent.
PARIS STOCKS EXCHANGE: The CAC-40 index closed at 6,029.79 points, down 63.5 or 1.04 percent.
ZURICH STOCKS EXCHANGE: The Swiss market index closed at 9,230.27 points, down 117.01 or 1.25 percent.
MILAN STOCKS EXCHANGE: The All Share Mibtel index closed at 33,184 points, down 235 or 0.70 percent.
SYDNEY STOCKS EXCHANGE: Shares fell 0.15 percent as a slump in US shares hit sentiment, while Coles Group Ltd slipped on talk that a consortium bidding for the retailer had pulled out. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index fell 9.9 points to 6,387.0, after setting its 33rd record closing high this year in the previous session and ending a five-session winning streak.
JOHANNESBURG STOCKS EXCHANGE: South African shares closed lower, dragged south by European and US market weakness that saw banking shares such as Absa fall close to 3 percent. The All-share index closed at 29,309.7 points, down 200.65 or 0.68 percent. The All Gold index closed at 2,615.93 points, down 6.21 or 0.24 percent, while the Industrial index closed at 19,831.56 points, down 148.51 or 0.74 percent.