Asian share markets followed the dollar higher on Monday as the prospect of further policy stimulus in China and Europe whetted risk appetites while sending the euro skidding.
The single currency was matching 28-month lows in early trade having shed 1.2% on Friday when European Central Bank President Mario Draghi surprised by declaring his commitment to fighting deflation.
That came hot on the heels of an unexpected cut in interest rates from the People's Bank of China, and sources told Reuters Beijing was ready to ease further to head off slowing inflation.
Tokyo's market was closed for a holiday on Monday, but MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan gained 0.24% Australia's main index climbed 0.9%.
"We will do what we must to raise inflation and inflation expectations as fast as possible," Draghi told an audience of bankers in Frankfurt, seemingly inching closer to outright purchases of government bonds.
The comments took a heavy toll on the euro which was down at $1.2367 U.S. having shed almost two cents on Friday. That was just a whisker away from a two-year low of $1.2358 U.S. plumbed earlier in the month.
Against the yen, the euro fetched 145.77, having dropped from a high of 148.43 on Friday.
The greenback was at 117.81 yen, off a seven-year high of 118.98 set last week. It faded somewhat on Friday after Japanese Finance Minister Taro Aso said the yen's recent fall was "too rapid" and undesirable.
The euro nursed particularly heavy losses against the Australian dollar, which climbed after China surprised with its interest rate cut. It traded at A$1.4239 after shedding nearly 2%.
Sources said China's leadership and central bank were ready to cut rates again and loosen lending restrictions, concerned that falling prices could trigger a surge in debt defaults, business failures and job losses.
The cut in rates was the first in more than two years and reflected a change of course by Beijing which had finally decided that a bold monetary policy step was required to stabilize the world's second-largest economy.
