* MSCI world equity index up 0.3 pct at 279.99
* Data from China, Australia boost risk sentiment
* Oil rises; dollar, government bonds fall
By Natsuko Waki
LONDON, Sept 1 (Reuters) - World stocks started the month on
a brighter note on Wednesday as data showed a manufacturing
rebound in China and stronger-than-expected growth in Australia,
while the yen held near recent 15-year peaks against the dollar.
China's manufacturing sector staged a moderate rebound in
August after slowing for several months [ID:nTOE68001O], while
Australia's economy grew at the fastest pace in three years last
quarter [ID:nSGE67U0L3].
The strong readings from Asia helped offset concerns that
the U.S. economy is slowing to an extent that would force the
Federal Reserve to consider easing policy again.
"People are fixated on only two economies in the world:
China and the U.S. It becomes a risk-on day if you get good
Chinese data and a risk-off day if you get bad U.S. data," said
Marc Ostwald, a strategist at Monument Securities in London.
The MSCI world equity index <.MIWD00000PUS> rose 0.8
percent, moving further away from a seven-week low hit last
week. The benchmark index is still down nearly 7 percent since
January.
The Thomson Reuters global stock index <.TRXFLDGLPU> rose
0.9 percent.
In Europe, the FTSEurofirst 300 index <.FTEU3> jumped 1.2
percent, led by mining shares such as Anglo American <AAL.L>.
U.S. stock futures rose around 1.2 percent <SPc1>, pointing to a
firmer open on Wall Street later.
Emerging stocks <.MSCIEF> added 0.8 percent while U.S. crude
oil <CLc1> rose 0.7 percent to $72.46 a barrel. German
government bond futures <FGBLc1> fell 66 ticks.
DOLLAR CANNOT WIN
The low-yielding dollar <.DXY>, which still tends to suffer
when investors buy into riskier assets and currencies, lost 0.8
percent against a basket of major currencies.
The weaker outlook for the U.S. economy itself is also
weighing on the dollar, with minutes of the Fed's Aug 10 meeting
showing the central bank would consider additional easing steps
if the outlook weakened "appreciably".
The meeting was held against a darkening backdrop, and the
Fed, in a significant policy shift, decided to reinvest maturing
mortgage-related securities in government debt so its support
for the stumbling recovery did not fade.
"We've seen a reprieve for risk from the data overnight but
I'm of the opinion you sell rallies in riskier currencies." said
Kenneth Broux, markets strategist at Lloyds Banking Group.
"The market will keep buying safe havens such as the yen and
the Swiss franc if U.S. data continues to disappoint."
The Japanese currency rose 0.2 percent to 84.03 per dollar
<JPY=>, within half a yen of last week's 15-year high of 83.58.
The euro gained 0.9 percent to $1.2797 <EUR=>.
Manufacturing activity in the euro zone expanded for 11
months in a row although the pace of growth slowed, according to
a Markit survey [ID:nSLAVJE6B9].
(Additional reporting by William James; Editing by Hugh Lawson)