EUROPE STOCKS EXCHANGE: European shares chalked up a second year of gains with expectations of a further advance in 2005 as investors hope a bruising bear market was now well and truly behind them.
The FTSEurofirst 300 index of pan-European blue chips closed unofficially flat at 1,042.46 points in wafer thin volume, leaving it just 2 points below a 29-month high of earlier this week.
For the year the benchmark was up 8.8 percent as strong corporate earnings growth and attractive valuations overshadowed record high crude oil prices and a sickly dollar.
FRANKFURT STOCKS EXCHANGE: The Frankfurt stock exchange was closed today. On Thursday the DAX index ended at 4,256.08 points, up 8.33 or 0.20 percent, a rise of 4.46 over the week and during the last 12 months the index gained 290.92.
PARIS STOCKS EXCHANGE: The CAC-40 index closed at 3,821.16 points, down 6.79 or 0.18 percent, a slight fall on the week of 1.6 points. Over the year the index gained 263.26.
SYDNEY STOCKS EXCHANGE: The share market closed down 0.11 percent as mining and steel companies dipped, but ended the year as one of the developed world's best performed equities markets with a 22.8 percent gain.
The Australian benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index slipped 4.3 points to 4,050.6, up a mere 2 points on the week. The bourse gained 750.8 points over the year.
JOHANNESBURG STOCKS EXCHANGE: Mining shares under pressure from the rand dragged the South African stock market off its all-time high in a quiet last trading day for the year. The All-share index closed at 12,656.86 points, down 18.91 or 0.15 percent, a rise of 127.63 points over the week and taking the gains over the past 12 months to 2,269.64 points.
The All Gold index closed at 1,564.61 points, down 10.27 or 0.65 percent, down 30.96 points since December 24 and a loss of 988.61 points in 2004.
The Industrial index closed at 9,802.64 points, up 23.42 or 0.24 percent, 134.13 points higher on the week and over the year a gain of 2,928.84.
ZURICH STOCKS EXCHANGE: The Swiss market was closed today. Yesterday the index closed at 5,693.2 points, up 0.8 or 0.01 percent, down 2 points over the week, up on the year by 205.4.
MILAN STOCKS EXCHANGE: The Italian markets were closed today. On Thursday the All Share Mibtel index closed at 23,534 points, up 16 or 0.07 percent, up 59 points since December 23. During 2004 the index rose 3,612.
TOKYO STOCKS EXCHANGE: The Japanese stock market was closed for a public holiday. On Thursday the Nikkei ended up 107.20 points at 11,488.76, up 123.28 points on the week and 812.12 points over the year.