Closing Stock Market Indices Outside The U.S.

FRANKFURT - The DAX index ended at 3,936.45 points, down 78.21 or 1.95 percent.

LONDON - Britain's leading share index ended down 1 percent, extending the previous session's steep losses, as weaker crude weighed on oil stocks and defensive drugmakers came under pressure. The FTSE 100 closed at 3,850.73 points, down 38.33 or 0.99 percent.

EUROPE - European shares hit a six-year closing low, as banks fell on reports Citigroup was in talks to give the U.S. government a larger stake, while auto shares slipped on persistent concerns about falling demand.

The FTSEurofirst 300 index of top European shares closed 0.9 percent lower at 729.39 points after rising to a high of 748.46 earlier in the session. The index is down 12 percent this year after plunging 45 percent in 2008.

Several banks fell sharply, with KBC Groep down 7.4 percent, Deutsche Bank slipping more than 5 percent, Credit Suisse down 5.2 percent and Dexia falling 12 percent.

FRANKFURT - The DAX index ended at 3,936.45 points, down 78.21 or 1.95 percent.

PARIS - The CAC-40 index closed at 2,727.87 points, down 22.68 or 0.82 percent.

ZURICH - The Swiss market index closed at 4,797.12 points, down 54.09 or 1.11 percent.

MILAN - The All Share Mibtel index closed at 12,639 points, down 165 or 1.29 percent.

TOKYO - The Nikkei average fell 0.54 percent, pushed lower by credit fears and worries about U.S. bank nationalisation, though a report that the U.S. government may raise its stake in Citigroup pared losses on reassurance the banking giant will be supported. The benchmark Nikkei, which at one point fell as low as 7,209.43, ended down 40.22 points at 7,376.16, its lowest close since Oct. 27.

HONG KONG - Shares closed 3.75 percent higher as risk-takers grabbed a chance to profit from a report that the U.S. government may end up increasing its stake in Citigroup to as much as 40 percent. The benchmark Hang Seng Index finished up 475.93 points at 13,175.10.

SYDNEY - Stocks ended down 1.5 percent, dragged by a big loss for miner Rio Tinto, but recovered from earlier lows on a report the U.S. government may raise its holding in Citigroup. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index lost 51.2 points to 3,351.2, its lowest close since Jan. 23 and having fallen as low as 3,312.6.

JOHANNESBURG - South Africa's rand and government bonds rallied, bolstered by rising risk appetite and speculation interest rates may fall this week, but local stocks were dragged lower by falling commodity shares. The All-share index closed at 19,286.78 points, down 115.81 or 0.60 percent. The All Gold index closed at 2,873.62 points, down 32.31 or 1.11 percent, while the Industrial index closed at 14,914.28 points, up 114.7 or 0.78 percent.