Singapore — Asian stocks slipped on Monday as demand for riskier assets ebbed after their recent strong gains, while the European Central Bank’s (ECB’s) apparent equanimity at the euro’s two-year highs left the dollar languishing. MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was down 0.2%. Japan’s Nikkei dropped 0.9%, pressured by a stronger yen. Chinese shares bucked the trend, with blue-chips up 0.3% and the Shanghai Composite advancing 0.2%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng added 0.4%. Australian shares retreated 1% and South Korea’s Kospi edged down 0.1%. On Friday, global stocks ended a 10-day winning streak, taking a breather from a rally that had propelled them to a record high in the previous session. The declines continued on Monday, with the index marginally lower. Wall Street indices ended Friday flat to about 0.15% lower, as disappointing earnings from General Electric and energy shares weighed. European shares also closed lower, with Germany’s DAX slumping 1.7%, drag...
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