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Closing stock market indices

LONDON - The FTSE 100 closed higher for the first time in five sessions, led by gains in media and telecoms stocks, but dealers said the index still looked vulnerable ahead of big economic news due later in the week. The FTSE finished the session 33.5 points or 0.53 percent higher at 6,379.8.

FRANKFURT - Germany's DAX fell to a second straight lower close as rate fears stalked U.S. stocks and helped wipe out strong early Frankfurt gains driven by technology group Siemens AG after a first quarter profits surge. The benchmark DAX index closed down 0.87 percent, or 60.76 points, at 6,931.99.

PARIS - Shares ended below session highs as Wall Street weakness outweighed market interest in media stocks after a planned merger of the music businesses at British EMI group Plc and U.S Time Warner. The French benchmark index ended up 9.54 or 0.17 percent at 5,690.86 points.

ZURICH - The blue-chip Swiss Market Index (SMI) lost 1.49 percent, or 108.1 points, at 7,127.9, amid sharp losses in chemical and pharma stocks Ciba, Clariant, Roche and Novartis. One trader, predicting a recovery, said the SMI might move between 7,160 points and 7,310 points this week.

MILAN - Stocks pared earlier gains by the close in a mixed Europe as the Dow lost ground. Only telecoms stocks remained strong with Telecom Italia leading the drive. The all-share Mibtel index closed up 0.65 percent or 185 points at 28,765.

AMSTERDAM - The AEX slightly outperformed most European neighbours as another mega-merger drove telecoms, technology and publishers higher. For a while, the index appeared to be heading for the 655 mark, but the Dow's retreat brought the AEX back to close at 645.53, a gain of 4.06 points or 0.63 percent.

SYDNEY - A lacklustre share market muddled its way to a weaker finish with traders preferring to focus more on the imminent National Australia Bank first quarter profit than on any broader market move. The benchmark All Ordinaries index shed 6.8 points or 0.22 percent to 3,096.6.

JOHANNESBURG - Shares ended lower amid worries that Standard & Poor's might not upgrade the country's investment rating after a negative report from a division of the agency. The Johannesburg bourse's All Share index ended 30.3 points or 0.34 percent lower at 9,012.8, off intraday lows, on brighter prospects of a firmer Wall Street open. The gold index dropped 20.3 points or 1.76 percent to 1,133.0. The industrial index was the lone riser, gaining 30.1 points or 0.3 percent to 9,996.8.-Reuters