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Regional banks rebounded, pointing to resilience in the banking sector. Annual inflation in February was 6%, in line with estimates.

For some, cutting ties with Russia marks the end of more than three decades of investment there following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

Stocks in China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea and Australia saw losses after a Wall Street sell-off that saw the Dow Jones Industrial Average plunge almost 800 points by the close.

Asian shares outside Japan advanced on Friday after the Fed decided to hold off on its first rate hike in nearly a decade.

The sell-off in Asian stocks continued on Thursday, as investors weighed concerns about the stability of China's economy.

Asian equity markets ended mostly higher on Monday on optimism that European officials will soon agree on a third bailout deal for Greece.

Mainland markets were the biggest losers in the region on Thursday, as fears over tighter requirements on margin financing ignited risk-off sentiment.

China's equity markets stood out amid mixed trading in the region on Thursday, as investors bet on further economic stimulus from Beijing.

Asian stocks remained in the doldrums on Thursday, hit by a confluence of factors like a weaker finish on Wall Street overnight.

Asian shares pared losses and edged up on Monday, as less-than-stellar data from China fueled bets of further support measures.

Asian markets mostly fell on Wednesday as investors digested the raft of earnings due in the region and awaited the Federal Reserve's statement.

Asia's equities joined their global peers to rise on Thursday, with China's Shanghai Composite index finishing at a fresh multi-year high.

Equities in Shanghai and Tokyo closed down late Tuesday, while the rest of the region advanced as Beijing unleashed new policy measures.

Asian equities were lower across the board on Wednesday, pressured by a plunge on Wall Street overnight and as a string of China data fell short of expectations.

Asian indices mostly advanced on Tuesday to hit new highs, but trading remained cautious ahead of Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen's testimony.

Asian stocks traded mixed on Tuesday, amid tensions between Greece and its euro zone creditors, and more weak Chinese data.

Asian equities were mixed on Monday in holiday-thinned trade following a better-than-expected U.S. jobs report last week.