Asian shares edged down slightly but were still on track for a solid weekly rise, as investors awaited more U.S. data later in the session for clues on the timing of the U.S. Federal Reserve’s interest rate hike. MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was slightly lower, but still poised to gain about 0.6 percent for the week. Japan’s Nikkei stock index added 0.5 percent, set for a 1.5 percent weekly rise.