* Banks biggest fallers after BofA, GE earnings figures
* Drop in U.S. consumer sentiment weighs on equities
* Energy stocks rise as crude oil price hits year high
By Harpreet Bhal
LONDON, Oct 16 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 share index closed 0.6 percent lower on Friday as banks and mining stocks fell after disappointing U.S. corporate earnings and a sharp fall in consumer sentiment.
The FTSE 100 closed 32.71 points lower at 5,190, dipping below the 5,200 level for the first time in two sessions.
Weakness on the FTSE mirrored a drop on Wall Street after disappointing corporate results from Bank of America and General Electric earlier in the session.
An unexpected dip in the Reuters/University of Michigan survey of U.S. consumer sentiment also weighed on equities.
UK banks were the heaviest fallers on the FTSE 100, with Barclays, HSBC, Royal Bank of Scotland and Standard Chartered off 1.9 to 2.4 percent.
Lloyds Banking Group bucked the trend to gain 1.9 percent after recent falls on rights issue concerns thanks to support from a Deutsche Bank upgrade and news of a minor disposal. Analysts said investors would now set their focus on a spate of corporate results due from the U.S. next week.
"The direction is being dictated by U.S. corporate earnings. We have got results from Apple and Microsoft next week which will be closely watched," said Nicola Poskitt, market analyst at City Index.
Miners were in the doldrums, extending Thursday's falls against a backdrop of easing metals prices. Rio Tinto, Antofagasta, Eurasian Natural Resources, Kazakhmys and Xstrata fell 1 to 2.8 percent. Supermarket chain J Sainsbury was the top loser. The stock fell 4 percent, reversing gains a day after its shares leapt as much as 20 percent on talk that Qatar's sovereign wealth fund was planning a renewed offer for the grocer.
Luxury goods group Burberry Group was down 3.4 percent, retreating from a 22-month high hit in the previous sesson.
OILS CLIMB
Energy stocks rose, with crude above $77 a barrel after touching a one-year high earlier on an unexpectedly steep drop in U.S. oil product stocks and weakness in the dollar.
BG Group, Royal Dutch Shell, BP, Tullow Oil and Cairn Energy gained 0.4 to 1.8 percent, also helped by target price increases from broker ING.
British American Tobacco and Imperial Tobacco added 0.5 and 0.3 percent, bouyed by their defensive nature while also drawing support from a rise in European peer Swedish Match, on the back of talk of bid interest for the firm from Philip Morris.
Among individual gainers, security services group G4S climbed 2.8 percent supported by a target price hike by broker Collins Stewart to 300 pence from 275 pence with a "buy" rating.
Mid-cap bus and rail operator National Express fell 23 percent after a consortium, led by Spain's Cosmen family, decided against making a takeover offer. (Editing by Greg Mahlich)