LONDON - Weaker miners and energy stocks, weighed by falling commodity prices, outweighed gains in defensive tobacco firms and drugmakers to drag Britain's top share index down 0.3 percent.

The FTSE 100 index ended 18.29 points lower at 5,762.06.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:EUROFIRST

EUROPE - European stocks fell back as worries over Greece's fiscal problems resurfaced, and a downward revision to euro zone growth highlighted the fragility of the recovery.

The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index of top shares fell 0.2 percent to a close of 1,098.16 points, after hitting an 18-month closing high for the second straight session on Tuesday.

The European benchmark is up more than 70 percent from its lifetime low of March 9, 2009.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:EUROmarkets

FRANKFURT - The DAX index ended at 6,222.41 points, down 29.8 or 0.48 percent.

PARIS - The CAC-40 index closed at 4,026.97 points, down 26.97 or 0.67 percent.

ZURICH - The Swiss market index closed at 6,843.49 points, down 42.72 or 0.62 percent.

MILAN - The FT IT All Share index closed at 23,665.52 points, down 181.75 or 0.76 percent.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:nikkei

TOKYO - Japan's Nikkei average rose 0.09 percent, as a surge in banking shares on a brighter outlook for the US financial sector offset profit-taking in other stocks after the benchmark's recent rally to 18-month highs. The Nikkei edged up 10.51 points to 11,292.83.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:hang seng

HONG KONG - Stocks rose 1.82 percent, nearing three-month highs, as easing concerns over a US rate hike and hopes for an appreciation in the yuan helped lift China issues such as ICBC.

The Hang Seng Index ended 391.77 points higher at 21,928.77, its strongest close since January 12.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:asx

SYDNEY - Shares edged up 0.15 percent to a fresh 18-month high, helped by healthcare stocks and merger activity in the resources sector that continued to buoy sentiment. The S&P/ASX 200 index ended up 7.2 points at 4,960.9, its highest closing level since September 24, 2008.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:south africa

JOHANNESBURG - South Africa's rand steadied against the dollar yesterday as importer and central bank buying of the greenback offset the impact of a strong gold price while local stocks tracked global equities lower.

The All-share index closed at 29,265.17 points, down 102.57 or 0.35 percent. The All Gold index closed at 2,326.55 points, up 3.81 or 0.16 percent, while the Industrial index closed at 22,633.04 points, down 40.14 or 0.18 percent.