Asian shares edge up, dollar steadies after drop

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was up 0.2 percent in early trade, shrugging off a choppy, losing session on Wall Street overnight. Japan's Nikkei stock average (.N225) dropped 0.3 percent ahead of the outcome of the Bank of Japan's policy meeting later in the session. The BOJ is widely expected to maintain its massive monetary stimulus program and offer a bleaker view on factory output, after signs Japan's economy was hit harder than expected by a national sales tax increase in April. "We expect the BOJ to keep monetary policy on hold, but it could lower its economic assessment to reflect continuing data weakness" since the tax hike, strategists at Barclays said in a note to clients.

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