Japan's Preliminary Industrial Production fell 1.0% m/m in November, compared with October's 1.4% growth; while Retail Sales dropped a similar 1.0% m/m, compared with October's 1.8% growth. The yen gave up 0.17% against the dollar to 120.51, edging away from a two-month high reached earlier in the session at 120.10. Euro gained 0.26% against the Japanese currency to 132.21. Yen inched down 0.19% against sterling, away from an eight-month high scaled on Thursday at 178.96.

Commodities began the week with a tumble, with U.S. West Texas Intermediary (WTI) crude futures sliding 33 cents, or 0.85% to $37.77 a barrel, after surging about 9.0% last week. Brent crude futures dipped 17 cents, or 0.45% to $37.73 a barrel, trying to regain its premium over U.S. crude after relinquishing it last week.

Gold futures fell 3 dollars, or 0.30% to $1,072 an ounce; Silver futures tumbled 12 cents, or 0.86% to $14.25 an ounce. Copper gave up 0.90% to $2.102 a pound.

Asian shares were mixed, with Japan's Nikkei rising 0.63%, as a rebound in oil prices last week offset weak industrial data. China's CSI300 index for the biggest listed companies in Shanghai and Shenzhen lost 1.0%. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 index jumped 1.29%, while Korea's KOSPI dove 1.15%. India's Nifty advanced half a percent.

Euro inched higher in thin year-end trading, with its index, which measures its performance against a basket of rivals, up 0.1% at 88.07. Euro gained 0.1% against the dollar to 1.0974. It rose 0.09% against sterling to 0.7355.

Euro's advances forced the U.S. dollar's index into negative territory, down 0.09% at 97.92. U.S. Dollar was largely flat against sterling at 1.4921. Canadian dollar rose 0.05% against its southern rival to C$1.3845. Australian dollar was flat at $0.7267.