Slew of data to distract markets this week

STRONG rallies on Wall Street following a robust jobs report in the US on Friday is likely to boost sentiment in Asia.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 440.53 points to close at 25,335.74, while the Nasdaq 100 - made up of the 100 largest companies in the Nasdaq composite - also reached a record high.

The US economy added 313,000 jobs in February, much higher than consensus estimates of a gain of 205,000 jobs. Wages, meanwhile, grew less than expected, rising 2.6 per cent on an annualised basis,