CWN Crown Resorts Limited

European stocks started the week softer, following modest declines in Asia and a late slowdown on Wall Street.

Many investors were looking ahead to a fresh raft of corporate earnings reports, key economic releases and a meeting of the European Central Bank later in the week.

The Stoxx Europe 600 was down 0.5% in the early minutes of trading Monday, with only the basic resources sector in positive territory. Shares of oil and gas companies were the worst performers as Brent crude oil inched down 0.5% to $51.71 a barrel.

Earlier, shares in Asia mostly trended lower, with Hong Kong stocks among the biggest decliners on news that Chinese authorities detained employees at casino operator Crown Resorts Ltd. for suspected gambling crimes.

Shares in Japan, however, gained 0.3%, as financial stocks caught up with Friday's gains in global lenders.

The dollar was last down 0.1% against the yen at ¥ 104.0680 after rising against the Japanese currency for three straight weeks. The Bank of Japan took a more optimistic view about the nation's regional economies in a quarterly report released Monday, which could lessen investors' expectations for additional stimulus in the near future.

In bond markets, the yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note rose slightly to 1.801% from 1.792% on Friday, after two consecutive weeks of gains, while 10-year gilt yields climbed to 1.184%. Yields move inversely to prices.

Ese Erheriene contributed to this article

Write to Riva Gold at riva.gold@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

October 17, 2016 04:35 ET (08:35 GMT)

Copyright (c) 2016 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.