Asian markets mostly rose on Tuesday after another record close on Wall Street, while sentiment was also boosted by news that a new government had finally been formed in Italy after months of deadlock. Japan's Nikkei, which was closed Monday for a holiday, was stuck in negative territory, however, as a stronger yen outweighed data pointing to a tentative recovery in the world's number three economy.

OTTAWA - Statistics Canada says average weekly earnings of non-farm payroll employees were $909 in February, up 0.9 per cent from January. On a year-over-year basis, earnings increased 3.1 per cent. The agency says the year-over-year growth of earnings outpaced the national average in construction, public administration, administrative and support services and professional, scientific and technical services, which all grew by four per cent or better. In accommodation and food services, earnings edged down 0.4 per cent on a year-over-year basis

TOKYO (Reuters) - Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda said there was no talk at Friday's policy meeting that additional monetary easing was needed at this stage, following the central bank's massive monetary stimulus earlier in the month. Kuroda also told a news conference that the board's Takahide Kiuchi and Takehiro Sato dissented from the BOJ's forecast that Japan will likely see 2 percent inflation in the latter half of the three years to March 2016. Below are key quotes from Kuroda in his news conference:

The dollar sank against the yen in Asia on Friday ahead of a Bank of Japan meeting, with dealers betting against any more policy moves after this month's huge stimulus. The dollar bought 98.87 yen in midday trade, from 99.29 yen in New York late Thursday, while the euro firmed to $1.3036 from $1.3009 but fell to 128.90 yen from 129.22 yen. A senior dealer at a major British bank said the dollar suffered as exporters sold the unit ahead of a long weekend, adding that there was a risk it could fall further if US growth data comes in below expectations later in the day.