By Sandhya Sampath
    Aug 4 (Reuters) - Most Southeast Asian stock markets edged
up on Friday ahead of U.S. non-farm payroll data for July, with
Philippine shares leading the rise on the back of gains in
Energy Development Corp and its parent company, First
Gen Corp.
    Energy Development surged as much as 19.2 percent to its
highest since August 2015 after the renewable power producer
said on Thursday a consortium of investors had offered to buy
about a third of the company.
    First Gen jumped as much as 14.5 percent in its biggest
intraday percentage gain since March 2009. 
    "The market today is largely boosted by the performance of
EDC and First Gen," said Charles Ang, an analyst with
Manila-based COL Financial.
    The Philippine Stock Exchange PSEI Index rose as much
as 1.1 percent before trimming gains to trade 0.6 percent higher
and was headed for a second straight session of gains.
    Among other gainers, financial stocks such as SM Prime
Holdings Inc and Ayala Corp rose 1.3 percent
and 1.7 percent, respectively.
    In other news, Philippines' annual inflation was 2.8 percent
in July, picking up slightly from the previous month's revised
2.7 percent rate.
    "It is more or less in line with the estimate of analysts,"
said Ang.
    This week, Philippine shares had shed 2.4 percent as of
Thursday's close, heading for their worst week of the year.
    Indonesian shares rose 0.3 percent, supported by
gains in financial and material stocks. An index of the region's
45 most liquid stock fell marginally.
    Singapore shares dropped up to 0.4 percent as oil and
gas stocks took a hit from lower oil prices.
    Sembcorp Industries Ltd declined 1.2 percent,
while DBS Group Holdings fell 2 percent after the
city-state's biggest lender flagged pressures on asset quality.

    Singapore shares were headed for a sixth straight weekly
gain.
    Malaysia and Vietnam were little changed,
while Indonesia inched up.
    Malaysia's exports in June grew 10 percent from a year
earlier, well below expectations, as shipments of manufactured
goods fell.
    In Asia, MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares
outside Japan was marginally higher, with many
investors reluctant to stake out fresh positions ahead of the
U.S. jobs report later in the global day.
    Investors will scrutinise the report for clues on whether it
could influence the timing of the Federal Reserve's plans to
tighten monetary policy.
    
For Asian Companies click;  

SOUTHEAST ASIAN STOCK MARKETS: Change at 0356 GMT
    
 Change on day                                    
 Market            Current       Previous Close  Pct Move
 Singapore         3333.66       3342.92         -0.28
 Bangkok           1581.51       1578.25         0.21
 Manila            7922.38       7876.66         0.58
 Jakarta           5796.752      5780.576        0.28
 Kuala Lumpur      1771.36       1771.9          -0.03
 Ho Chi Minh       788.17        788.49          -0.04
                                                  
 Change on year                                   
 Market            Current       End 2016        Pct Move
 Singapore         3333.66       2880.76         15.72
 Bangkok           1581.51       1542.94         2.50
 Manila            7922.38       6840.64         15.81
 Jakarta           5796.752      5296.711        9.44
 Kuala Lumpur      1771.36       1641.73         7.90
 Ho Chi Minh       788.17        664.87          18.54
 
 (Reporting by Sandhya Sampath; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu)