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* FTSE 100 down 0.2%, Mid-cap FTSE 250 down 0.1%
* Homebuilder Berkeley up after trading update
* Supplier SIG drops after cautious stance on construction
(Adds company news items, milestones, analyst comment)
By Muvija M and Shashwat Awasthi
Sept 6 (Reuters) - The FTSE 100 dipped on Friday as markets
flattened out ahead of U.S. monthly jobs data, with losses in
oil majors and miners overshadowing a rally in house builders on
upbeat comments on the market from London-centric developer
Berkeley.
With traders clearing the decks for the
traditionally-influential U.S. non-farm payrolls numbers later
in the day, the FTSE 100 index edged 0.2% lower by 0800
GMT, while the midcaps were down 0.1%.
That still left the blue chip index on course for a 0.8%
rise in a week where liquidity is still recovering from a summer
lull.
Contributing the most to the blue-chip bourse's losses were
oil heavyweights and mining giants as concerns over global
demand remained on investors' minds.
"Data from the US on Thursday further lifted sentiment,"
said Craig Erlam, an analyst with Oanda in London. "Of course,
if the jobs data starts to disappoint then sentiment may quickly
change."
The U.S. jobs numbers are expected to show employers added
158,000 jobs last month, slightly lower than July but pointing
to an economy that is still growing at a steady clip against the
backdrop of President Donald Trump's trade war with China.
Escalations of the trade conflict, and fears over its impact
on global growth, drove the FTSE 100's worst fall this year in
August, and it continues to be buffetted by Britain's chaotic
efforts to leave the European Union.
Homebuilder Berkeley rose 2% to top the FTSE 100
leader-board after pointing to "robust" market conditions in
London and the South East of England despite Brexit
uncertainties.
The comments, coming at a time when the housing market has
been strained by Brexit, lifted Berkeley's peer and Britain's
biggest housebuilder Barratt 2% higher as well. Earlier
in the week, Barratt had slipped after a muted forecast.
(Reporting by Muvija M and Shashwat Awasthi in Bengaluru;
Editing by Bernard Orr)
