Here is how major stock markets outside the United States ended on Wednesday. LONDON - Britain's FTSE 100 share index scored its best close in nearly 4-1/2 years, with mining companies -- the star performers of the year so far -- continuing to rise as copper and gold prices gained.The FTSE 100 closed at 5,622.8 points, up 27.4 or 0.49 percent. EUROPE - European stock markets closed mixed in thin volumes due to the holiday season, but DaimlerChrysler rallied 1.3 percent as it sold its heavy diesel motor unit. Oil shares Total and BP ended lower due to easing oil prices, but pared some of their earlier losses. "Oil stocks are still not discounting as strong a backdrop for the oil price as we anticipate, so we still think there is some value in terms of the oil price," said Paul Niven, head of strategy at F&C Asset Management. FRANKFURT - The DAX index ended at 5,447.15 points, up 2.31 or 0.04 percent. PARIS - The CAC-40 index closed at 4,756.93 points, down 12.45 or 0.26 percent. ZURICH - The Swiss market index closed at 7,559.13 points, up 10.33 or 0.14 percent. --More 22 28 Local Time 19 28 GMT
