Asian shares gained on Friday on news of a ceasefire accord in Ukraine, while Sweden's surprise move to cut its main rate into negative territory and hopes of a resolution between debt-strapped Greece and its creditors burnished risk appetite.
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Asian stocks and the euro fell on Thursday as markets erred on the side of caution over the ongoing Greek debt negotiations amid conflicting headlines on progress in the talks.
The recent slide in global oil prices is a benefit for the world economy and could lead to some upgrades of economic forecasts, Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda said on Monday.
Japan's Canon Inc said it plans to buy security camera maker Axis AB for about 23.6 billion Swedish crowns ($2.83 billion) to expand into the surveillance products market amid weak sales of its cameras.
Asian equities slipped on Tuesday as nervousness over Greece potentially withdrawing from the euro and escalating conflict in Ukraine sapped risk appetite, while the dollar lost steam after its payrolls-inspired rally.
European stocks dipped and low-rated bond yields rose on Monday after dismal Chinese trade data and signs of increasingly fraught relations between Greece and its international creditors kept investors cautious.
Asian shares wobbled on Monday after dismal Chinese trade figures fueled concern over a slowdown in the world's second largest economy, while solid U.S. jobs data were a mixed blessing as they raised chances of a U.S. interest rates hike mid-year.
Japanese automakers are being forced to ship some car parts to U.S. plants by expensive air cargo and tweak production processes as a protracted labor dispute at U.S. West Coast ports shows no signs of letting up.
Asian shares edged higher in early trade on Friday and oil prices continued to rebound, even as investors remained wary ahead of the key U.S. nonfarm payrolls report for January later in the session.
Japanese air bag maker Takata Corp (7312.T) booked nearly $30 million in extra charges for vehicle recalls to replace potentially deadly air bag inflators, as well as other costs, tipping it toward a bigger annual loss than previously forecast.
