In London on Friday the FTSE 100 was 1.21 percent lower to 6,224.3 and the FTSE 250 fell 0.42 percent to 11,185.8.
Insurers were mixed on the day.
Royal Sun & Alliance (LSE: RSA; OTC: RSA) was the best performer on the 100 as it added 1.71 percent to 131.2p after JP Morgan (NYSE: JPM; TYO: 8634).
Friends Provident (LSE: FP) was also higher, gaining 0.53 percent to 191.2p.
But Old Mutual (LSE: OML; JSE: OLOML) had the worst day on the 100, falling 4.73 percent to 155.1p while Standard Life (LSE: SLET) was also lower, dropping 3.32 percent to 305.75p after Panmure Gordon (LSE: DUC) cut its target share price from 370p to 346p.
Pubs operators also saw declines on the 100, with Whitbread (LSE: WTB) 3.34 percent lower to £15.35 and Punch Taverns (LSE: PUB) down 3.6 percent to £10.72.
Other gainers on the 100 included clothing retailer Next (LSE: NXT), which added 1.02 percent to £18.87.
Electricity generator International Power (LSE: IPR; NYSE: IPR) was 1.55 percent higher to 426p.
Engineering group Tomkins (LSE: TOMK; NYSE: TKS) had the best day on the 250, adding 7.44 percent to 249.25p on second quarter profits that were down less than had been expected and after Cazenove raised its recommendation from “underperform” to “in-line”.
In the electronics sector, Cookson Group (LSE: CKSN; OTC: CKSNY) gained 3.93 percent to 753.5p after Merrill Lynch (NYSE: MER; TYO: 8675) raised its target share price from 815p to 850p.
JKX Oil & Gas was the biggest loser on the 250 for the day, dropping 4.04 percent to 362.25p.