Asian shares follow US downwards Asian shares have slipped after a weak lead from Wall Street and ahead of eco**mic data expected to point to a further slowdown in China's eco**my.Investors were cautious after US stocks closed in the red again, concluding the worst monthly losses since 2012.Japan's Nikkei 225 was down by 1% to 18,698.25 points in early trade.Tuesday will see the release of a closely-watched monthly index, the purchasing managers' index (PMI), gauging China's factory output.