Asian shares ease in thin trade, U.S. data awaited

TOKYO (Reuters) - Asian shares eased on Tuesday as investors squared positions in thin volume before U.S. markets reopen after a long weekend and investors see fresh data that could offer clues about prospects for the world's largest economy. MSCI's broadest index of Asia Pacific shares outside Japan slipped 0.3 percent. It is down 17 percent for the year, far less than the 50 percent plunge it had in 2008 when the collapse of Lehman Brothers roiled global financial markets. Japan's Nikkei stock average closed down 0.5 percent in light trading. The Tokyo benchmark is down 17 percent this year. ...