Ahead of today's key US jobs........>

US DATA PREVIEW: Ahead of today's key US jobs report Goldman Sachs look for the

headline number at +205k, employment rate unchanged at 4.1% and AHE to have

increased 0.2% m/m, 2.6% y/y.

-Westpac look for a (still strong) 170k reading in January. They note, looking

ahead 2018 is likely to see a further deceleration in employment growth to circa

155k per month, down from around 190k in 2016 and 170k in 2017.

-TD Securities expect payrolls to advance by 175k, unemployment rate to slip to

4.0%.

-HSBC expect an increase of 170k payrolls noting underlying momentum in the

labour market still appears to be healthy. HSBC think the unemployment rate

could fall to 4.0% with AHE to rise by 0.1% m/m and 2.5% y/y, but with some risk

it could fall to 2.4% depending on rounding.

-Nomura expect an increase to 205k in payrolls. They forecast a steady 0.2% m/m

increase in the AHE, 2.6% y/y and a fall in unemployment to 4.0%.