European stocks nudged higher Monday, finding support from advances in Spanish stocks and strength in German economic data. The Stoxx Europe 600 index SXXP, +0.19% rose 0.2% to close at 390.21, partly rebounding from a 0.4% loss on Friday.

U.S. stocks closed lower on Monday, with the Nasdaq ending a nine-day rally as investors found few reasons to push shares deeper into record territory in a thinly traded session. The U.S. bond market was closed in observance of Columbus Day, which contributed to the light trading action in equities.

South Korean equities led broad gains across the Asia-Pacific region on Tuesday, as investors there caught up with the global market strength following a long holiday. Driving gains was a 4.4% surge in heavyweight Samsung Electronics 005930, +4.25%, as traders rush to buy the stock ahead of the company's third-quarter earnings report due on Friday.