Updates closing prices and adds details

SINGAPORE, Aug 1 (Reuters) -

• Japanese rubber futures declined on Thursday, weighed down by soft economic data from top consumer China and a stronger yen, although higher oil prices capped losses.

• The Osaka Exchange (OSE) rubber contract for January delivery JRUc6, 0#2JRU: closed down 3.8 yen, or 1.21%, at 311.3 yen ($2.08) per kg.

• The September rubber contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange (SHFE) SNRv1 rose 110 yuan, or 0.78%, to 14,260 yuan ($1,970.51) per metric ton.

• Hopes of further Chinese stimulus measures targeting consumer spending are supporting sentiment, said Jom Jacob, chief analyst at Indian analysis firm What Next Rubber.

• However, concerns over weak Chinese manufacturing following fresh data is capping gains, added Jacob.

• China's sluggish manufacturing sector is poised for a "cruel summer" with two sentiment surveys this week pointing to a new level of gloom among factory owners struggling with poor demand, signalling risks for economic growth in the second half of 2024.

• Still, China has the ability and confidence to achieve its full-year growth target of around 5% and will work to actively expand domestic demand, state planner officials said.

• The yen JPY=EBS surged nearly 1% to 148.51 per dollar, its highest since mid-March, before settling at 149.95, in the wake of a hawkish pivot from the Bank of Japan. USD/

• A stronger currency makes yen-denominated assets less affordable to overseas buyers. FRX/

• Limiting declines, oil prices extended gains after the killing of a Hamas leader in Iran raised the threat of a wider Middle East conflict and concern over its impact on oil. O/R

• Natural rubber often takes direction from oil prices as it competes for market share with synthetic rubber, which is made from crude oil.

• The front-month September rubber contract on Singapore Exchange's SICOM platform STFc1 last traded at 163.9 U.S. cents per kg, up 0.4%.

($1 = 149.8700 yen)

($1 = 7.2367 yuan)

Reporting by Gabrielle Ng; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips and Varun H K

For morning and afternoon prices at Thailand's state-run central rubber market, click on RUB-BKK3.
For other physical rubber prices in Thailand, click on RUB-BKK1, RUB-BKK2.
For more details on Indonesian and Malaysian prices click on RURKJK and RUQG.
* Reuters Terminal users can see cash and futures rubber prices by double clicking on the codes in the brackets:

- Tokyo rubber futures -- 0#JRU:
- Shanghai rubber futures -- 0#SNR:
- Singapore rubber futures -- 0#SRS:0#SRU:0#STF:
- Thai rubber futures -- 0#ARU:0#ASR20:
- All rubber news RUB
- Tokyo rubber report RUB/T
- Shanghai rubber report RUB-CN
- Thailand rubber report RUB/TH
- Asian rubber report RUB/AS

For Related News and other topics, double click on one of these codes: SPEED GUIDES RUBBER1, SOFTS/NEWS1