Stock market today: Japan's Nikkei tops 40,000, as investors await China political meeting
Asian stocks are mostly higher ahead of China’s top annual political gathering, while Japan’s benchmark surpassed the 40,000 level for the first time. U.S. futures fell and oil prices were little changed. China's National People's Congress opens Tuesday. It will provide insights into Beijing's policy plans and also is likely to yield an annual target for economic growth for the year. The rally in Japan tracked gains Friday on Wall Street, where the S&P 500 rose 0.8%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.2%, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 1.1%. Leaps for Dell and other companies on excitement around artificial-intelligence technology are helping drive the market's advance.