Reply #31: UK Stocks -- Factors to watch on Friday May 6

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http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/05/06/markets-britain-factors-idUKLDE69007720110506

May 6 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE is seen opening 4 to 10 points lower on Friday, with investors nervously awaiting non-farm payrolls data from the United States after a sharp sell-off in the previous two sessions.

The blue-chip index is seen falling as much as 0.2 percent, according to financial bookmakers, after it slid 1.1 percent to 5,919.98 points in the previous session, bringing its losses to 2.5 percent for the week so far.

A sharp sell-off in commodities has led to big falls in miners and energy stocks, but metal prices and crude prices have stabilised as investors look to see if the U.S. employment data may revive a sense that the global economy is recovering fast.

The median consensus view for non-farm payrolls due for release at 1230 GMT is that 186,000 jobs will have been created in April, but analysts said that investors were positioning themselves for a lower number, so if it matches expectations there could be a bounce in equities.