Here is how major stock markets outside the United States ended on Wednesday, according to Reuters. LONDON - The FTSE 100 index of the London market's leading shares closed up on Wednesday, led by banking stocks after Royal Bank of Scotland issued an upbeat trading statement, but weighed on by Rolls-Royce and Smiths Group. The FTSE 100 closed at 6,090.3 points, up 3.9 or 0.06 percent. EUROPE - European shares ended little changed as gains for banking shares were offset by weaker retail and technology stocks as Wall Street dipped ahead of key jobs data at the end of the week. The FTSEurofirst 300 Index closed steady at 1,440 points on solid turnover of around 2.7 billion shares, holding year-to-date gains at around 13 percent. With markets expected to wind down in the lead-up to the Christmas and New Year holidays, investors were shaping their forecasts for 2007. Many see broadly similar conditions for markets, with an expected U.S. slowdown offset by improving growth elsewhere. FRANKFURT - The DAX index ended at 6,369.51 points, down 3.29 or 0.05 percent. PARIS - The CAC-40 index closed at 5,350.62 points, down 9.07 or 0.17 percent. ZURICH - The Swiss market index closed at 8,509.87 points, up 57.8 or 0.68 percent. MILAN - The All Share Mibtel index closed at 31,155 points, up 53 or 0.17 percent. TOKYO - The Nikkei average climbed 0.65 percent to its highest close in a month as Bridgestone rose on its purchase of U.S. firm Bandag, while strong economic indicators spurred buying in domestic issues such as bank shares. The Nikkei rose 105.52 points to 16,371.28, the highest close since Nov. 7. HONG KONG - Hong Kong stocks rose 0.4 percent as China Mobile led a rally in telecoms on hopes that China was close to granting 3G licences, quelling losses in HSBC after its growth warning. The Hang Seng index cleared its 14-day moving average after rising above 19,000 for the first time in more than a week. It ended the day 82.17 points higher at 19,026.36. SYDNEY - Australian shares rose 0.7 percent, buoyed by firmer metal prices that supported big mining stocks, while Rural Press surged after agreeing to a bid from John Fairfax. The S&P/ASX 200 Index added 40.2 points to end at 5,466.7. JOHANNESBURG - Diversified mining group Anglo American and gold producer Harmony led resources shares lower as a firmer rand and softer metal price weakened the Johannesburg bourse. The All-share index closed at 23,946.47 points, down 244.97 or 1.01 percent. The All Gold index closed at 2,945.88 points, down 92.78 or 3.05 percent, while the Industrial index closed at 16,458.12 points, down 106.61 or 0.64 percent.
