Investing.com - Japanese stocks traded weaker on Monday, breaking seven straight sessions of gains as the yen fell sharply against the dollar and oil prices slipped.
Japan's Nikkei 225 fell 0.61% on yen strength, which is seen as a negative for Japanese export-oriented stocks, with the yen spiking more than 1% to 111.87 against the dollar.
Australia's S&P/ASX 200 eased 0.29% on weaknesses in its energy shares, but the Shanghai composite edged up 0.38%, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 0.32%.
Last week, U.S. stocks were higher after the close on Friday, as gains in the Utilities, Telecoms and Consumer Goods sectors led shares higher.
The Dow Jones industrial average ended up 0.36% in a holiday-shortened trading session, while the S&P 500 closed up 0.39% and the Nasdaq composite closed up 0.34%.