Here is how major stock markets outside the United States ended on Tuesday, according to Reuters. LONDON - Britain's FTSE 100 share index slipped, as weaker commodity prices pulled down oil and mining shares, offsetting gains by banks and drugmaker Shire, which unveiled an acquisition. The FTSE 100 ended 32.1 points, or 0.5 percent lower, at 6412.3. EUROPE - European share indexes slipped from six-year highs after some disappointing earnings and as energy stocks weakened, outweighing a rally in German carmaker Volkswagen. "This is not the widely anticipated correction yet. No drama," said Giuseppe Amato, a strategist at German brokerage Lang & Schwarz. Among top losers were energy stocks, with Total falling 1.5 percent, while BP lost 0.65 percent as the London Brent crude oil price slid over a dollar to $57 a barrel. Austrian utility Verbund fell 6 percent after it reported a lower than expected 43 percent rise in net profit for 2006, making it the top loser on the the pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index. Disappointing results from other firms including Cadbury Schweppes and Carlsberg also weighed on markets. The FTSEurofirst fell 0.32 percent to 1,544.99, easing from a six-year high of 1,552.6 struck on Monday. FRANKFURT - The DAX index ended at 6,982.91 points, down 4.17 or 0.06 percent. PARIS - The CAC-40 index closed at 5,713.45 points, down 26.45 or 0.46 percent. ZURICH - The Swiss market index closed at 9,315.35 points, down 30.27 or 0.32 percent. MILAN - The All Share Mibtel index closed at 33,033 points, down 285 or 0.86 percent. TOKYO - Japan's broadest stock index hit a 15-year peak before closing up marginally higher as investors snapped up steel makers including Nippon Steel Corp. on expectations of more industry consolidation and earnings upgrades from the sector next week. The Nikkei average slipped 0.01 percent, or 0.97 point, to close at 17,939.12. HONG KONG - The Hong Kong stock market was closed for the Chinese New Year holidays. Trading will resume on Wednesday, Feb. 21. On Friday the benchmark Hang Seng Index rose 29.49 points to end at 20,567.91. SYDNEY - Shares closed flat as a slump in Foster's Group Ltd. following disappointing earnings offset gains in miners and takeover target Rinker Group. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index ended down 0.4 point, or 0.01 percent, at 5,989.7. JOHANNESBURG - Stocks slipped as softer precious metal prices hit miners but the country's biggest consumer bank Absa jumped as investors applauded its results. The All-share index closed at 26,514.77 points, down 108.46 or 0.41 percent. The All Gold index closed at 2,739.22 points, down 43.21 or 1.55 percent, while the Industrial index closed at 18,890.43 points, down 60.13 or 0.32 percent.
