By Coco Alcuaz -
Asian stocks pointed higher Monday morning after U.S. shares had their best week this year and investors shook off concerns about terror attacks in Paris and Mali. Both oil and gold slipped.
New Zealand and Australia, the first two major markets to open, were up 0.7 percent and 0.1 percent.
While Japan, the biggest market in the region, is closed for a holiday, Hong Kong futures are up about 0.3 percent, and Hong Kong, China and Korea futures are also higher.
The S&P 500 climbed 3.3 percent last week, led by retailers and technology companies, after the Thursday release of the most recent Federal Reserve policy meeting minutes reduced uncertainty about whether the central bank would raise interest rates next month. Investors felt the minutes confirmed the growing view that the Fed will raise rates. That sentiment was also confirmed by San Francisco Fed President John Williams at a Saturday conference.
Crude oil extended its decline below $42 a barrel and gold slipped for a second day, Bloomberg reported.