* MSCI world equity index up 0.7 percent at 276.24
* MSCI, FTSEurofirst 300 index at 10-month highs
* Oil near $74/bbl; govt bonds, yen slip
By Natsuko Waki
LONDON, Aug 24 (Reuters) - World stocks powered to a 10-month high on Monday while the yen fell after firmer U.S. and euro zone data and reassuring comments from the world's key central bankers spurred buying of risky assets.
Friday's survey showed sales of previously owned U.S. homes jumped 7.2 percent in July to mark the fastest pace in nearly two years. Monday's data showing a bigger-than-expected rebound in euro zone industrial new orders also aided sentiment.
Bernanke and other central bankers said at the annual gathering in Jackson Hole on Friday the worst global recession in 70 years was nearing a close, although they warned it would be a long, slow climb back to normal growth.
They also said it was too soon to withdraw trillions of dollars in government and central bank support, which reassured investors that the cost of borrowing is not rising just yet.
"There was a concern about China, but that dissipated and U.S. data, especially housing, was upbeat, and Bernanke was encouraging. Risk aversion is diminishing," said Philip Lawlor, strategist at Nomura. MSCI world equity index rose 0.7 percent to reach levels not seen since October. The FTSEurofirst 300 index rose half a percent.
U.S. stock futures were up 0.2 percent, pointing to a firmer open on Wall Street later.
European credit default swap indexes fell sharply. The Markit iTraxx Crossover index, made up of 44 mostly "junk"-related credits, fell 21.75 points to 581.25 bps.
Tokyo stocks jumped 3.4 percent, their biggest one-day gain in 3-1/2 months. However, trading was thin, with turnover volume on the Tokyo stock exchange's first section at its lowest level since July 28.
Investors were also hesitant about taking heavy positions before the Aug. 30 general election where many expect the opposition Democratic Party to win.
Emerging stocks rose 1.75 percent. Shanghai stocks rose 1.1 percent.
The Shanghai index posted its third weekly loss last week on concerns that the country's banking regulator may tighten capital rules. Jitters that the pace of growth might be slowing or authorities might tighten the relatively loose monetary policy also weighed on sentiment.
"China has been at the forefront of global recovery hopes... We believe China will likely continue to help global demand by running a much smaller trade deficit (in real terms) next year," Goldman Sachs said in a note to clients.
The bank estimates that China alone is expected to contribute 1.7 percentage point of the 4 percent global real GDP growth that we forecast currently in 2010.
"So any slight weakness in the China story will have important ramifications for the rest of the world and understandably raise concerns, as we have seen in recent weeks," it said.
U.S. crude oil rose 0.1 percent to $73.98 a barrel.
The September bund futures fell 10 ticks.
The dollar rose 0.15 percent against a basket of major currencies. Against the yen it rose 0.4 percent to 94.77. (Additional reporting by Brian Gorman; Editing by Andy Bruce)