Closing Stock Market Indices Outside The U.S.

Here is how major stock markets outside the United States ended on Wednesday.

LONDON - Britain's top share index closed 2.83 percent lower, ending a six-day winning streak, as sliding oil and metal prices knocked commodity stocks, with BP also hit by worries about its earnings outlook. The FTSE 100 closed down 131.41 points at 4,507.51, after rising 10 percent in the previous six sessions.

EUROPE - European shares snapped a six-day winning streak on Wednesday, hit by weak U.S. employment data and commodity stocks suffering from lower crude and metal prices. The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index of top European shares closed 1.3 percent down at 877.85 points after falling as low as 871.92.

FRANKFURT - The DAX index ended at 4,937.47 points, down 88.84 or 1.77 percent.

PARIS - The CAC-40 index closed at 3,346.09 points, down 50.13 or 1.48 percent.

ZURICH - The Swiss market index closed at 5,761.69 points, down 37.62 or 0.65 percent.

MILAN - The All Share Mibtel index closed at 15,958 points, down 141 or 0.88 percent.

TOKYO - The Nikkei average rose 1.74 percent to hit a two-month closing high as exporters such as Honda Motor surged on a softer yen and amid hopes for a U.S. stimulus package to boost the economy. In active trade, the Nikkei climbed 158.40 points to 9,239.24, its highest finish since Nov. 5. It booked its first seven-day winning run since March 24-April 3 in 2006.

HONG KONG - Shares dropped 3.37 percent as China Construction Bank (CCB) slid after an equity sell-down by Bank of America while telecom stocks retreated after Beijing handed out long-awaited 3G licences. The Hang Seng Index finished 522.05 points lower at 14,987.46 after opening up 1.6 percent.

SYDNEY - Stocks extended their rally, rising 0.99 percent, lifted by the top miners on tentative optimism that generous spending by governments around the world may speed up an economic recovery. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index gained 37 points to close at 3,779.7, adding to a 1.5 percent gain on Tuesday to push the market to its highest close in more than two months.

JOHANNESBURG - Stocks snapped a six-day rally as renewed worries about world growth hit equity markets, while the rand slipped on lingering risk aversion and a dip in metals prices. The All-share index closed at 22,718.97 points, down 200.79 or 0.88 percent. The All Gold index closed at 2,277.38 points, up 76.07 or 3.46 percent, while the Industrial index closed at 17,350 points, down 252.5 or 1.43 percent.