Asian stock markets made a lackluster start to the week after unexpectedly strong U.S. economic growth and hiring reinforced expectations that the Federal Reserve will start cutting back stimulus soon. Stocks in Manila sank after a typhoon devastated the eastern Philippines, killing thousands of people. Investors were also waiting to see if China's communist leaders, who started a four-day meeting in Beijing on Saturday, would announce reform plans to bolster the world's No. 2 economy as it comes under pressure from industrial overcapacity, high debt and surging house prices. Hong Kong's Hang Seng inched up 0.1 percent Monday to 22,773.73 while China's Shanghai Composite fell 0.2 percent to 2,102.79. Seoul's Kospi dropped 0.3 percent to 1,979.55 and Australia's S&P/ASX 200 shed 0.5 percent to 5,376.30. Japan's Nikkei 225 bucked the trend, rising 1 percent to 14,256.80. The PSE Composite in Manila sank 1.8 percent to 6,239.96 as the country grappled with the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan. Authorities estimated that up to 10,000 people may have died. But the government, stunned by the scale of the disaster, has not given an official death toll yet.
