European FTSEurofirst index of 300 leading shares closed 0.17 percent higher at 1,366.30, its highest close since mid-2001. FRANKFURT - The DAX index ended at 5870.88 points, up 15.72 or 0.27 percent. PARIS - The CAC-40 index closed at 5117.16 points, up 9.69 or 0.19 percent. ZURICH - The Swiss market index closed at 8034.22 points, down 1.22 or 0.02 percent. MILAN - The All Share Mibtel index closed at 29470 points, up 148 or 0.50 percent. TOKYO - The Nikkei average lost 0.75 percent as Advantest Corp. and other stocks that had gained recently fell on concerns that a three-session rally may have lifted share prices too quickly. The benchmark Nikkei fell 123.15 points to close at 16,238.36. HONG KONG - Hong Kong stocks ended lower as falling property shares weighed on the index and investors took a breather ahead of earnings results due later in the week. The benchmark Hang Seng index ended down 0.14 percent, or 22.31 points, at 15,519.76. SYDNEY - Australian shares fell as mining giants BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto were pressured after China said it would monitor iron ore prices, but expectations of media sector consolidation spurred stocks like publisher John Fairfax. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index lost 19.1 points, or 0.39 percent, to close at 4,932.2. JOHANNESBURG - Petrochemicals firm Sasol led South African stocks higher, spurred by higher oil prices as the market recovered from a sell-off last week. The All-share index was 344.41 points or 1.82 percent higher at 19,289.68 points. The All Gold index closed at 2606.68 points, up 72.19 or 2.85 percent, while the Industrial index closed at 13982.18 points, up 238.73 or 1.74 percent.
