Global Stocks

European stocks finished lower Monday, with election-related worries prompting investors to step away from equities, while downbeat developments left shares of Volkswagen AG and Ryanair Holdings PLC in the red. Stocks found no relief Monday after European Central Bank President Mario Draghi reiterated his stance that monetary stimulus will be available if warranted for the eurozone economy.

Stocks closed lower Monday following a mixed bag of earnings and continued friction against President Donald Trump implementing a wave of executive orders last week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA, -0.09% fell 19.04 points, or 0.1%, to finish at 20,052.42, with shares of Verizon Communications Inc. VZ, -1.13% and Home Depot Inc. HD, -1.08% weighing on the average.

Appetite for Asian stocks and the euro ebbed on Tuesday as a rising tide of economic and political concerns added to anxiety over expectations China's foreign exchange reserves fell again in January. But some economists said reserves may have actually risen due to tighter controls on moving money out of the country, as well the impact of a weaker dollar. Nevertheless, as foreign exchange reserves linger at around $3 trillion, concerns remain over the speed at which China has depleted its cash resources to defend the currency.