Asian Stocks Lower in Light Trading

Stock markets in Japan and China declined Monday in light trading with most other Asian markets closed.

The Shanghai Composite Index fell 0.8 percent to 3,085.82 and Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 shed 0.1 percent to 19,416.03. Seoul’s Kospi gained 0.1 percent to 2,037 and India’s Sensex retreated 0.8 percent to 25,826.83. Taiwan declined while Thailand advanced. Markets in Hong Kong, Australia, Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia were closed.

U.S. stocks edged up on Friday, their final trading day before the holiday, boosted by health care companies. The Dow Jones industrial average picked up 14.93 points, or 0.1 percent, to 19,933.81. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index gained 2.83 points, or 0.1 percent, to 2,263.79. The Nasdaq composite rose 15.27 points, or 0.3 percent, to 5,462.69.

The dollar declined to 117.18 yen from Friday’s 117.32 yen. The euro rose to $1.0461 from $1.0453.

Oil markets were closed for a legal holiday. On Friday, benchmark U.S. crude gained 7 cents to close at $53.02 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude, used to price international oils, added 11 cents on Friday to close at $55.16 in London.