1.   Currency traders are waiting for the release of U.S. employment data due later today, which will provide clues for the direction of U.S. interest rates.

2.   Many analysts expect U.S. rates to rise again in May, while employment data due Thursday could point to lower rates in Australia.

3.   Prices of Treasury securities gained for a third consecutive session Thursday as investors focused on inflation data due Friday and a swirl of opinions about Federal Reserve monetary policy.

4.   Some data due this week will be crucial in determining where rates are headed.

5.   The market tumbled today amid fears preliminary inflation data due out on Friday and Monday could show rising inflation.

6.   A guarded atmosphere prevailed in the financial markets with investors reluctant to make major commitments ahead of important economic data due later in the week.

7.   Apart from uncertainty about the dollar, another thing discouraging investors was anticipation of sensitive data due later in the week.

8.   But the broader market finished virtually flat because investors held off buying ahead of potentially market-moving economic data due later this week.

9.   Hong Kong stocks rose on sustained institutional buying Friday, but traders said looming U.S. economic data due later Friday acted as a dampener on sentiment.

10.   Hong Kong stocks rose on sustained institutional buying, but traders said looming U.S. economic data due later Friday acted as a dampener on sentiment.