Stock markets got off to a slow start for the week despite news that the Chinese economy grew 2.3% in 2020 after a sharp contraction early in the year.
Shares fell in London and Tokyo on Monday but advanced in Hong Kong, Paris and Shanghai. Most U.S. markets are closed for a national holiday.
Investors appear to have grown increasingly wary over the deepening economic devastation from the pandemic despite hopes that COVID-19 vaccines and fresh aid for the U.S. economy might hasten a global recovery.
