LONDON - Britain's top share index inched lower as weakness in heavyweight Vodafone offset modest gains from energy stocks.
The FTSE 100 index ended down 3.32 points, or 0.1 percent, at 5,526.72, retreating slightly after closing at a fresh 16-month high on Wednesday.
@MARKET ROUNDUP:EUROFIRST
EUROPE - European equities closed flat after hitting a 15-month high in the previous session, with investors staying cautious ahead of today's keenly-watched US non-farm payrolls data.
The FTSEurofirst 300 index of top European shares closed at 1,060.15 points.
@MARKET ROUNDUP:EUROmarkets
FRANKFURT - The DAX index ended at 6,019.36 points, down 14.97 or 0.25 percent.
PARIS - The CAC-40 index closed at 4,024.8 points, up 7.13 or 0.18 percent.
ZURICH - The Swiss market index closed at 6,555.36 points, down 4.05 or 0.06 percent.
MILAN - The FT IT All Share index closed at 24,146.19 points, up 85.01 or 0.35 percent.
@MARKET ROUNDUP:nikkei
TOKYO - Japan's Nikkei average lost 0.5 percent, with electronics heavyweight Canon hit by a brokerage downgrade and ailing Japan Airlines tumbling on a report that it was set to post a $13.3 billion net loss.
The Nikkei lost 49.79 points to 10,681.66.
@MARKET ROUNDUP:hang seng
HONG KONG - Hong Kong stocks closed lower as investors took profit after the market climbed to a one-month high, while Chinese financial counters fell after the central bank tightened liquidity.
The Hang Seng Index ended down 0.66 percent, or 147.22 points at 22,269.45, snapping a two-day rise.
@MARKET ROUNDUP:asx
SYDNEY - Australian stocks fell 0.5 percent, dragged down by banking stocks after stronger-than-expected retail sales data raised the chance of an interest rate hike in February.
The S&P/ASX 200 index shed 22 points to 4,899.4, after a flat finish on Wednesday.
@MARKET ROUNDUP:south africa
JOHANNESBURG - South Africa's rand weakened against the dollar as the greenback staged a broad rally, and local stocks eased, snapping three sessions of gains with telecoms leading the decline.
The All-share index closed at 28,017.81 points, down 62.55 or 0.22 percent. The All Gold index closed at 2,495.06 points, down 9.04 or 0.36 percent, while the Industrial index closed at 21,312.18 points, down 132.91 or 0.62 percent.
