Moving to Asian stocks now. Asian equities traded in the red on Tuesday after a quiet overnight session in Europe and holiday closures in the U.S. markets.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index ended the session 0.78 percent lower after the long Chinese New Year weekend. Financials dragged the market, as index heavyweight HSBC slipped more than 3 percent. The bank reported its profit before tax rose more than 140 percent last year. However that was slightly off expectations. Shares of other lenders also fell more than 1.5 percent. Japan's Nikkei 225 lost one percent on Tuesday, as financials, manufacturing and energy related names traded in negative territory. South Korea's Kospi slid 1.13 percent, with tech giants such as Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix losing as much as 2 percent. The markets remained closed in China on Tuesday for the Chinese New Year holiday.