Asian shares have advanced after a surprisingly strong U.S. jobs report raised optimism about the economy, sparking a rally on Wall Street. U.S. futures slipped and oil prices also fell. Japan's Nikkei 225 index gained nearly 2% and shares in Hong Kong, Seoul and Taiwan also gained more than 1%. On Friday, the S&P 500 climbed 0.9% to near its all-time high set on Monday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.8% to set its own record, and the Nasdaq composite rose 1.2%. The strong jobs data forced traders to abandon bets the Federal Reserve may cut its main interest rate by a larger than usual amount at its next meeting.
