LONDON - Britain's leading share index closed lower as falling commodity prices stung oil firms and miners while investors stayed cautious ahead of the conclusion of a US Federal Reserve policy meeting. The FTSE 100 closed at 5,139.37 points, down 3.23 or 0.06 percent.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:EUROFIRST

EUROPE - European shares closed higher as investors awaited the US Federal Reserve's rate decision, with gains in banks outpacing falls in energy stocks.

The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index of top shares closed up 0.2 percent at 1,006.09 points, having earlier fallen to a low of 1,003.05.

The index has soared 56 percent since reaching a floor in March, and is up 21 percent in 2009, on track to record its best quarterly performance in nearly a decade.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:EUROmarkets

FRANKFURT - The DAX index ended at 5,702.05 points, down 7.33 or 0.13 percent.

PARIS - The CAC-40 index closed at 3,821.79 points, down 1.73 or 0.05 percent.

ZURICH - The Swiss market index closed at 6,349.83 points, up 9.11 or 0.14 percent.

MILAN - The FT IT All Share index closed at 23,704.89 points, up 149.5 or 0.63 percent.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:nikkei

TOKYO - Japanese markets were closed for a third day yesterday, for Autumnal equinox. On Friday the Nikkei closed down 73.26 points at 10,370.54.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:hang seng

HONG KONG - Hong Kong shares ended lower as investors began to discount Sinopharm's debut gains and on expectations that the U.S. Federal Reserve will keep its policy rate unchanged. The Hang Seng Index slipped 0.49 percent to 21,595.52.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:asx

SYDNEY - Australian stocks rose 1.5 percent, as strong copper and oil prices lifted resources firms such as Woodside Petroleum while hopes of an economic recovery pushed up banks and retailers. The S&P/ASX 200 index added 70.4 points to 4,734.1.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:south africa

JOHANNESBURG - South African markets slipped, with the rand reversing the previous day's gains, partly on a firmer dollar, and government bonds slid on expectations interest rates may have bottomed out. The All-share index closed at 25,362.93 points, down 93.18 or 0.37 percent. The All Gold index closed at 2,470.03 points, down 51.16 or 2.03 percent, while the Industrial index closed at 19,961.03 points, down 14.68 or 0.07 percent.