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* FTSE down 0.6 pct
* Focus on May's Brexit speech around 1330 GMT
* GKN eyes sale of auto unit
By Julien Ponthus
At 0930 GMT, the FTSE was down 0.6 percent at 7,135 pointsas investors also waited for British Prime Minister Theresa Mayto lay out her vision for Brexit and address concerns both fromthe EU and her own conservative allies over the Irish border andtrade.
"It is to be hoped that the
Any reaction in sterling is likely to have an impact onBritish shares.
The pound's slow recovery since the June 2016 Brexit votehas given an accounting boost to
Rentokil rebounded after falling during the previoussession on disappointing 2017 results. The British businessservices group led the FTSE with a 3.7 percent rise.
Shire shares were in second position, up 1.8 percent asspeculation over a possible offer for the biopharmaceuticalgroup had already boosted its shares on Thursday.
London Stock Exchange Group fell 3.2 percent afterreporting its 2017 results as traders noted higher costs.
Spire Healthcare Group,
British engineering company GKN was down 1.5percent. The British engineering group said it was in talks withDana Incorporated over its auto unit, opening up a newfront in its battle to fight off a hostile 7 billion pound (