MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) added 0.1% but was still headed for a monthly loss of 5.9%, the largest since February. Data on Thursday showed China's manufacturing activity contracted for a fifth straight month in August, and the expansion in services sector lost a little momentum. Chinese blue-chips (.CSI300) were flat but a 2.5% rebound in property stocks boosted Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index, which rose 0.7%. Barring the China gloom, investor confidence jumped in August, with a global confidence index (ICI) from State Street Global Markets surging 11.4 points to 107.7, led by North America which recorded the strongest reading in a year on easing recession fears. Brent crude futures were little changed at $85.88 per barrel and U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures were up 0.1% at $81.74.

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Persons: Marvin Loh, payrolls, Stella Qiu, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: U.S, PCE, Japan's Nikkei, ICI, Street Global, North, Global ICI, State Street Global, Federal, European Central Bank, Brent, . West Texas, Thomson Locations: China, SYDNEY, Asia, Pacific, Japan, North America, Europe, Germany, Spain