BANGKOK - World stock markets fell Monday as high oil prices dampened enthusiasm for riskier assets like stocks ahead of the release of data likely to show that the U.S. economy is improving at a slow but steady clip.
Benchmark oil remained near $109 per barrel while the dollar rose against the euro but fell against the yen.
European stock markets headed lower in early trading. Britain's FTSE 100 shed 0.6 percent to 5,900.72. Germany's DAX lost 0.9 percent to 6,799.99 and France's CAC-40 lost 1.1 percent to 3,431.18. Wall Street was set to open lower, with Dow Jones industrial futures losing 0.4 percent to 12,910 and S&P 500 futures down 0.5 percent to 1,356.80.
In Asia, Japan's Nikkei 225 index ended down 0.1 percent at 9,633.9, giving up gains posted earlier in the day. Hong Kong's Hang fell 0.8 percent to 21,217.86. South Korea's Kospi lost 1.4 percent to 1,991.16. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 dropped 0.9 percent to 4,267.40.
But mainland Chinese shares advanced. The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index added 0.3 percent to 2,447.06 and the Shenzhen Composite Index gained 0.3 percent to 975.62.
U.S. consumer confidence figures to be released Tuesday and the Federal Reserve's so-called Beige Book report on economic activity due Wednesday are likely to show improvement, analysts said.
