European stock markets were mixed on Wednesday.
The FTSEurofirst 300 index closed 0.7% lower at 710.90 points. The index is down 14 % to date this year after falling 45% in 2008.
In Frankfurt, the DAX index ended at 3,996.32 points, up 8.55 or 0.21%. In Paris, the CAC-40 index closed at 2,760.34 points, down 6.94 or 0.25%.
The Swiss market index closed at 4,783.32 points, down 30.46 or 0.63%.
In London, the FTSE 100 index ended at 3,804.99 extending a decline on Tuesday after previously rising six sessions out of seven.
Unemployment in Britain is now more than 2 million.
In Tokyo, The Nikkei index ended up 0.29% at 7,972.17 - its highest close since 6 February, after earlier rising above 8,000 mark.
Shares in Hong Kong resumed an upward march. HSBC was higher for a seventh consecutive session. The Hang Seng Index ended 239.08 points higher, 1.86%, at 13,117.17.
In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 fell 5.6 points, or 0.16%, to 3,446.3.
After a broker downgrade, Rio Tinto Ltd was down 9% on mounting concern over the fate of a proposed $US19.5 billion deal with Chinalco, which is state-owned by China.
The All Ordinaries declined 7.2 points, or 0.21%, to 3386.2.
In New Zealand, the NZX50 index was up 41 points to 2606 on market turnover of $83 million.
