Investing.com - Asian markets were lackluster with Tokyo shut and little initial reaction to news Japan's government planned a record budget for next fiscal year of more than $800 billion as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe seeks to shore up the economy.
Australia's S&P/ASX 200 share market started the new week with a loss of 0.5 percent, but MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan gained 0.2 percent.
Last week, U.S. stocks were lower after the close on Friday, as losses in the Financials, Consumer Services and Industrials sectors led shares lower.
At the close in New York, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.95%, while the S&P 500 index fell 0.84%, and the NASDAQ Composite index declined 0.68%.
In the week ahead, markets will be looking ahead to Wednesday’s report on U.S. retail sales, as well as Friday’s reports on consumer sentiment and factory output, for further indications on the strength of the economy.