FTSE 100 dips ahead of U.S. jobs data, AJ Bell helps midcaps cut losses

London's FTSE 100 slipped on Friday ahead of key U.S. jobs data, with energy stocks leading the decline, while AJ Bell helped the mid-cap index limit its losses after an analyst upgrade. The blue-chip FTSE 100 index shed 0.5% but was set for a third straight weekly gain, while the FTSE 250 dipped 0.1% by 0821 GMT.

London's FTSE 100 slipped on Friday ahead of key U.S. jobs data, with energy stocks leading the decline, while AJ Bell helped the mid-cap index limit its losses after an analyst upgrade.

The blue-chip FTSE 100 index shed 0.5% but was set for a third straight weekly gain, while the FTSE 250 dipped 0.1% by 0821 GMT. AJ Bell jumped 7.5% to the top of the mid-cap index after Jefferies raised its rating for the investment platform to "buy" from "hold" following upbeat earnings.

Heavyweight energy stocks lost 1.7% to lead sectoral falls on mixed crude oil prices. All eyes are on the U.S. employment data, due later in the day, which will likely show job growth at its smallest in nearly two years in November as mounting worries of a recession cooled demand for labour.

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