Here is how major stock markets outside the United States ended on Wednesday, according to Reuters. LONDON - Britain's FTSE 100 skidded 4.82 percent lower, with banks and oil shares tumbling and as Wall Street took a whipping from a grim outlook for the global autos industry. The FTSE 100 closed down 202.87 points at 4,005.68. The index has lost 38 percent so far this year as a global banking crisis has driven the global economy onto the brink of recession. EUROPE - European stocks fell to a 5-1/2-year closing low, led down by banks and commodities on concerns over a deep recession, while profit worries punctured BASF and AstraZeneca. BASF, the world's top chemicals maker by revenue, underlined worries about global demand by cutting its 2008 profit outlook for the second time in two months. It said it would cut back production, citing a "massive" demand drop. The FTSEurofirst 300 index of top European shares closed 4 percent lower at 811.99 points -- the lowest close since May 2003. The benchmark has fallen more than 45 percent this year, compared with gains in the previous five years. FRANKFURT - The DAX index ended at 4,354.09 points, down 225.38 or 4.92 percent. PARIS - The CAC-40 index closed at 3,087.89 points, down 129.51 or 4.03 percent. ZURICH - The Swiss market index closed at 5,524.06 points, down 151.52 or 2.67 percent. MILAN - The All Share Mibtel index closed at 15,319 points, down 409 or 2.60 percent. TOKYO - Japan's Nikkei average edged down 0.66 percent to a one-week closing low, with high-tech exporters such as Tokyo Electron hit by a stronger yen and fears a U.S. automaker bailout might not go through dampening trade. The Nikkei fell 55.19 points to 8,273.22. HONG KONG - Shares shed 0.77 percent, as speculators cashed in on early sharp gains in oil refiners on hopes of fuel price reforms and Chinese banks fell for a second day. The Hang Seng Index ended 100.09 points lower at 12,815.80 after inching up to 13,179.33 earlier. SYDNEY - Shares fell 0.67 percent to a fresh four-year closing low as the resumption of short selling in non-financial stocks triggered falls in some companies which had outperformed in the recent sharp downturn. The S&P/ASX 200 index lost 23.6 points to 3,499.6, adding to a 3.6 percent slide on Tuesday. JOHANNESBURG - The rand fell sharply against the dollar as global markets sagged on worries about the frail world economy, but later reversed some of its losses as investors trimmed back long dollar positions. The All-share index closed at 18,756.65 points, up 9.49 or 0.05 percent. The All Gold index closed at 1,517 points, up 7.99 or 0.53 percent, while the Industrial index closed at 15,449.15 points, down 285.01 or 1.81 percent.
