(Corrects Turkish lira’s percentage change in paragraph 12 to up 0.8% from up 8%) * EM currencies extend gains to third straight day * Stocks set to gain in August after two months of losses * Eskom mulls $7.2 bln investment in wind and solar by 2030 -BBG * S.African rand jumps 1% in seventh straight session of gains Aug 31 (Reuters) - Emerging market stocks jumped 1.4% on Tuesday, following a record close on Wall Street overnight, although weak data from China fed caution about slowing economic growth. Currencies of the developing world extended gains to a third straight session as the dollar remained pressured by the U.S. Federal Reserve’s dovish stance and looked to U.S. jobs data later in the week for clues on the U.S. labour market. EM stocks were at near four-week peaks, with Asian stocks erasing early losses. The index was set to finish August more than 1% higher after two months of falls. Keeping sentiment in check was slowing manufacturing and services Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) surveys from China that showed growth in the world’s second biggest economy is slowing. “Overall, the data highlights that China’s economy has passed peak growth, with further softening likely into year-end,” said Mitul Kotecha, chief EM Asia and Europe strategist at TD Securities. “This will likely have a knock-on impact on regional exports such as Korea, Taiwan and Singapore...” India’s GDP data due at 1200 GMT was expected to show Asia’s third-largest economy rose sharply from 1.6% in the previous quarter. China stocks extended losses to the third month, with the tech index posting its worst month since the peak of COVID-19 angst in March 2020, on worries about tightening business regulations. A Reuters report of a regulatory investigation into its investments in the property market sent Hong Kong-listed shares of Ping An Insurance Group down 4% on Tuesday. Meanwhile, China’s securities regulator strengthened scrutiny of brokerages’ margin lending and securities borrowing businesses. South Africa’s state-owned energy utility, Eskom, is considering a $7.2 billion investment in wind and solar by 2030, Bloomberg reported. The troubled company did not provide details. Meanwhile, Johannesburg’s index of top 40 companies was boosted by 5% and 4% jumps in locally listed shares of Prosus and Naspers. Prosus, spun out of Naspers in 2019, plans to buy Indian payments platform BillDesk $4.7 billion. South Africa’s rand hit three-week highs, up 1%, extending gains to a seventh straight session, while Turkey’s lira jumped against the dollar, on course for its best session in four weeks. EM local currency bond yields dropped and were just below 5%, but spreads crept up. For GRAPHIC on emerging market FX performance in 2021, see tmsnrt.rs/2egbfVh For GRAPHIC on MSCI emerging index performance in 2021, see tmsnrt.rs/2OusNdX For TOP NEWS across emerging markets For CENTRAL EUROPE market report, see For TURKISH market report, see For RUSSIAN market report, see (Reporting by Susan Mathew in Bengaluru; Editing by Alex Richardson) Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.