Closing stock market indices outside the U.S. LONDON, Dec 16 (Reuters) - Here is how major stock markets outside the United States ended on Thursday. LONDON - Britain's leading share index notched a gain for the second session in a row, led by retailer GUS on bid speculation, while the wider retail sector, including Next , climbed after data showing a surprising jump in retail activity calmed fears that the crucial Christmas trading period would be a wash-out. The FTSE 100 closed at 4,735.2 points, up 7 or 0.15 percent. EUROPE - ABN AMRO bank and drug group GlaxoSmithKline led European shares to a new 29-month high when heavy merger activity also boosted investor confidence in the final trading days of the year. The FTSEurofirst index ended up 0.4 percent at 1,041.83 points, clocking up its best close since early July, 2002. The pan-European blue-chip index is up 8.9 percent so far in 2004 and poised to chalk up its second year of gains after a bruising three-year bear market. The DJ Euro Stoxx 50 index ended up 0.26 percent at 2,929.63 points. FRANKFURT - The DAX index ended at 4,233.71 points, up 20.02 or 0.48 percent. PARIS - The CAC-40 index closed at 3,810.67 points, up 7.68 or 0.20 percent. --More 2203 Local Time 1903 GMT
