Closing stock market indices

Major stock markets outside the United States ended on Thursday.
EUROPE STOCKS EXCHNAGE: European stocks fell, led by telecommunications heavyweights Vodafone and BT Group, while mining companies and French retailer Carrefour rose.
The European Central Bank left key interest rates unchanged as expected but signalled a hawkish tone, analysts said, with some suggesting that higher borrowing costs may eat into corporate profit margins. The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index ended at 1,609.67 points, a loss of 0.65 percent.
FRANKFURT STOCKS EXCHNAGE: The DAX index ended at 7987.13 points, down 88.13 or 1.09 percent.
PARIS STOCKS EXCHNAGE: The CAC-40 index closed at 6059.53 points, down 38.55 or 0.63 percent.
ZURICH STOCKS EXCHNAGE: The Swiss market index closed at 9219.37 points, down 75.14 or 0.81 percent.
MILAN STOCKS EXCHNAGE: The All Share Mibtel index closed at 33004 points, down 215 or 0.65 percent.
SYDNEY STOCKS EXCHNAGE: Australian shares rose one percent as resource firms gained on stronger metals and oil prices, while Zinifex and Oxiana Resources hit new highs on unsubstantiated merger talk. The S&P/ASX 200 index added 63.7 points to close at 6,362.3.
JOHANNESBUR STOCKS EXCHNAGE: South Africa's stock market ended in the positive, driven by strong performance of resources stocks such as BHP Billiton despite continued nervousness around interest rates. The All-share index closed at 28896.36 points, up 52.05 or 0.18 percent. The All Gold index closed at 2448.43 points, up 13.45 or 0.55 percent, while the Industrial index closed at 19643.32 points, down 59.72 or 0.30 percent.