Asian Stocks Slip Before Kuroda as Metals Fall; Gas Sinks

Asian stocks fell, with the regional benchmark retreating a fourth day, before a speech by Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda and monetary policy reviews from the U.S. to Europe this week. The yen held gains versus the dollar, while most metals and natural gas declined.

The MSCI Asia Pacific Index of regional equities sank 0.8 percent by 9:57 a.m. in Tokyo, headed for a 2 1/2-week low. The yen climbed 0.2 percent against the dollar, set for the strongest close since June 26 after posting the biggest jump of 16 major currencies tracked by Bloomberg last week. Malaysia’s ringgit weakened a fourth day. Standard & Poor’s 500 Index futures were little changed after the gauge rose 0.1 percent July 26. Gold led precious metals lower, while copper dropped 0.3 percent. Natural gas futures lost 2.3 percent.