Investing.com - Asian shares were mixed on Thursday with easy monetary policy helping lift outlooks in Japan, though China and Australia fell after recent sharp gains.
The Nikkei 225 gained 0.69% at the break, while the Shanghai Composite fell 1.24% after a sharp run-up on Wednesday, and the S&P/ASX 200 dropped 0.49%.
Earlier, Australia's AI/HIA construction index for March rose 6.2 points to 50.1, returning to expansion and new orders rising sharply - which signals activity may remain elevated that would be noted by the central bank.
"While new orders for residential construction look positive for the near term the time is now ripe for higher levels of investment in commercial construction and particularly in infrastructure," said AI Group head of influence and policy Peter Burn.
U.S. stocks were higher after the close on Wednesday, as gains in the Healthcare, Consumer Services and Financials sectors led shares higher.
At the close in New York, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.15%, while the S&P 500 index gained 0.27%, and the NASDAQ Composite index gained 0.83%.
The Labor Department reported Friday that the U.S. economy added 126,000 new jobs in March, less than half of February’s gain and the smallest increase since December 2013.