Investing.com - Asian shares were mixed in Asia on Thursday after the break with investors looking ahead to details of the European Central Bank's latest board meeting.
The Nikkei 225 gained 0.19% on a weaker yen, while the Shanghai Composite fell 1.00%.
Overnight, the U.S. dollar rose to its highest level against the euro on Wednesday in more than 11 years, ahead of the European Central Bank's announcement on Thursday detailing the start of its €60 billion a month quantitative easing program.
The continuing decline comes on the eve of Thursday's ECB meeting where policymakers are expected to release critical details on a monetary easing program that was passed last month.
Among the topics expected to be discussed at the meeting in Cyprus include: projections for inflation and growth, the length and scope of the program, as well as projections for when interest rates could rise again in Europe.
Overnight, U.S. stocks were lower after the close on Wednesday, as losses in the Telecommunications, Consumer Goods and Industrials sectors led shares lower.
At the close in New York, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.58%, while the S&P 500 index declined 0.44%, and the NASDAQ Composite index fell 0.26%.