Asia stocks flat ahead of US jobs report

Asian stocks did not register major movements in today's session as investors expect US employment data to be released today at 3.30pm.

Hang Seng in Hong Kong fell 0.16% in early trade, amid reports that the city government is considering potential emergency regulations to ban face masks in protests. The city has been plunged into riots in recent weeks that have several times even turned violent.

Australia's ASX 200 remains unchanged, with shares of biotechnology company CSL jumping 2.41%. This movement was generated by lower-than-expected retail sales data in the country, which fueled speculation about shrinking purchasing power and supported defensive stocks.

Trading remains cautious, as the worksheets in the United States will be published today at 3.30pm. Expectations are for a number close to 100K, which, according to many, is a very low reading, but it must be understood that ... the US economy and workforce are not growing fast enough.

No large GDP growth is required, and no large monthly job growth is required to keep unemployment below 4%. And if it remains below 4%, then consumers will continue to spend money and avoid a recession.

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