Asian shares inch lower after Bernanke as data in focus

TOKYO: Asian shares eased on Monday after U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke kept the door open for further stimulus if needed, while stopping short of giving any clear direction about an imminent move, prompting investors to look for clues in upcoming data.

"The message came through that conventional measures would probably persist, with measurable results, and that anybody waiting for unconventional wild methods would have to keep waiting," said Richard Hastings, macro strategist at Global Hunter Securities. "There is little need for anything other than bond purchases right now."