Stocks ended lower Monday as global investors reacted to a series of weekend protests in China over the country's Covid policies and braced for a key week of data releases on jobs and inflation that could define the Federal Reserve's near-term rate path.

Hundreds of demonstrators clashed with police in Shanghai yesterday, with protests also breaking out in the capital city of Beijing, as anger over the country's strict lock-down policies, which are approaching their third year, boiled over following a deadly apartment fire in the city of Urumqi.

Commentary on Chinese social media suggested the ten deaths from the fire were linked to restrictions that prevented a proper response from rescuers.

The unrest has added another layer of uncertainty to global markets, already grappling with recession and inflation risks, and looks to dominate headlines from overnight trading heading into the final weeks of the year.

The region-wide MSCI ex-Japan benchmark fell 1.18% into the final hours of trading, while stocks in China were marked around 1.5% lower by the close of the session. In Europe, the Stoxx 600 was down 0.65% Frankfurt while Britain's FTSE 100 ended 0.17% lower in London.

Oil prices were also firmly in retreat, as investors bet on an extended slump in demand from China as its anti-Covid protests continue to disrupt manufacturing and supply chains.

@Daily_Discussion