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Closing stock market indices .

LONDON: Here is how major stock markets outside the United States ended on Tuesday.

FRANKFURT - Germany's benchmark DAX index closed higher after surrendering ground following a weaker opening on Wall Street.

The DAX ended up 17.41 or 0.23 percent at 7,607.94 points.

PARIS - French shares ended a volatile session in the red but above the key 5,920 support with strength in selected blue chips helping cushion losses.

Market sentiment remained cautious as Wall Street failed to recover from last week's selloff sparked by fears of higher interest rates.

The benchmark CAC-40 index closed down 3.97 or 0.07 percent at 5,963.31.

ZURICH - Swiss shares closed firmer amid improved sentiment and rekindled interest in heavyweights such as Nestle and Roche.

The blue-chip Swiss Market Index ended up 74.8 points, or 1.07 percent, at 7,037.5.

MILAN - Italian stock indices ended little changed as strong gains in several banks outweighed losses in many other sectors which were dragged down by a weak start on Wall Street amid continued U.S. interest rate fears.

The all-share Mibtel index ended up 0.06 percent or 18 points at 31,777.

AMSTERDAM - Dutch shares closed mostly lower, pressured by the weakness from Wall Street's weak reopening after the U.S. holiday on Monday.

The AEX index of blue chips closed down 2.06 or 0.32 percent at at 647.28 points.

SYDNEY - Australian shares bedded down a softer finish, but trade had little momentum as investors awaited Wall Street's resumption after Friday's slump.

The benchmark All Ordinaries index shed 15.9 points or 0.51 percent to close at 3,101.2.

JOHANNESBURG - South African stocks deepened this week's losses as futures traders continued to sell the spot market while others stayed on the sidelines ahead of Wednesday's budget speech.

The benchmark All-Share index slumped 2.11 percent or 176.6 points to 8,189.9. The industrial index tumbled 114.8 points or 1.22 percent to 9,282.2. The All Gold index closed off 18.7 points or 1.43 percent to 1,287.7.-Reuters