Asian stocks slide

Asian stocks were soft on Tuesday after U.S. stocks retreated from two-year highs, weighed down by financial stocks. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index slipped 0.2 percent to 134.99 as of 9:34 a.m. in Tokyo. About three stocks fell for every two that advanced on the nearly 1,000 member gauge.Japan's Nikkei Index slipped as investors locked in profits after the index had advanced to a three-month high the previous day. The benchmark Nikkei ended the session 0.4 percent lower at 9,694.49 points. The broader Topix edged down 0.2 percent to 839.95. Hang Seng shed 0.65 percent while Chinas Shanghai Composite dropped 0.9 percent points. However, gold surged above $1,413 per ounce.