London’s equities markets were higher on Thursday.

The FTSE 100 was up 1.45 percent to 6,576.3, while the FTSE 250 jumped 1.79 percent to 11,480.5. As in Europe, telecoms topped the gainers.

Vodafone (LSE: VOD; NYSE: VOD; FWB: VOD) added 6.45 percent to 189.7p after France Telecom (Euronext: FTE; NYSE: FTE) announced its better than anticipated results.

Retailers also saw gains.

Home Retail (LSE: HOME) was higher on the 100, up 5.03 percent to 412.75, while over on the 250 department store chain Debenhams (LSE: DEB) gained 6.9 percent to 112.25p.

Online gambler PartyGaming (LSE: PRTY) was the best performer on the 250, where it added 13.64 percent to 31.25p.

Insurers were mixed on the session, with Old Mutual (LSE: OML; JSE: OLOML) 5 percent higher to 178.6p but Standard Life (LSE: SLET) down 1.25 percent to 276.25p.

Other losers included house builder and property developer Barratt Developments (LSE: BDEV), which dropped 1.81 percent to 650p.

In the banking sector, Alliance & Leicester (LSE: AL) was down 2.99 percent to 729.5p.

Capita Group (LSE: CPI) had the worst day on the 100, falling 5.53 percent to 700p on the news that it will lose handling of London’s congestion charge to IBM (NYSE: IBM) beginning in 2009.

London’s markets were lower Tuesday.

The FTSE 100 was down 0.45 percent to 6,614.3 while the FTSE 250 fell 0.64 percent to 11,366.2.

The oil sector was mixed as crude oil prices climbed again.

BG Group (LSE: BG; NYSE: BG) was up 2.12 percent to 914p, while BP (LSE: BP; NYSE: BP; TYO: 5051) was 0.72 percent higher to 627p.

Royal Dutch Shell’s (LSE: RDSA, RDSB; NYSE: RDS.A, RDS.B) B shares added 1.27 percent to £20.81 and it’s A shares gained 1.46 percent to £20.86.

But Tullow Oil (LSE: TLW; OTC: TUWLY) fell 0.24 percent to 624p and Dana Petroleum (LSE: DNX) was 1.86 percent lower to £12.63.

Banks were mixed as well.

Northern Rock (LSE: NRK) continued its roller-coaster ride, adding 3.35 percent to 223.5p, while Alliance & Leicester (LSE: AL) gained 2.79 percent to 775p, but they were the only gainers among big banks in the UK.

Mortgage lender Bradford & Bingley (LSE: BB) dropped 3.14 percent on the session to 254.5p.

Some miners were lower, with Antofagasta (LSE: ANTO) falling 2.81 percent to 829p.

Johnson Matthey (LSE: JMAT), the biggest gainer on the 100 on Monday, fell 4.73 percent to £17.53 for the worst performance on the session.

In London, the FTSE 100 dropped 1.28 percent on Monday to 6,644.5 while the FTSE 250 fell 1.18 percent to 11,439.9.

The oil sector was higher on higher prices and on continued tensions between Turkey and Kurdish-controlled northern Iraq.

Royal Dutch Shell’s (LSE: RDSA, RDSB; NYSE: RDS.A, RDS.B) B shares added 0.69 percent to £20.55 while it’s A shares gained 0.54 percent to £20.56.

BP (LSE: BP; NYSE: BP; TYO: 5051) was up 0.57 percent to 622.5p while Venture Production (LSE: VPC) jumped 4.29 percent to 766.5p.

The biggest gainer on the 100 was chemicals group Johnson Matthey (LSE: JMAT) added 9.92 percent to £18.40.

On the other hand, the worst performance on the 100 was turned in by Northern Rock (LSE: NRK), which dropped 20.86 percent to 216.25p after saying that while it is talking to several possible bidders, the talks are in an early stage.

Elsewhere in the banking sector, Alliance & Leicester (LSE: AL) was down 5.81 percent to 754p.

Brewer SAB Miller (LSE: SAB) fell 4.72 percent to £14.13 after it said that while volume is up overall, sales have been slow in Latin America.

Over on the 250, the best performer on the day was online auctioneer QXL Ricardo (LSE: QXL), which added 4.58 percent to £12.55.

Holding company Rank Group (LSE: RNK) was the biggest loser of the day on the 250, where it fell 12.20 percent to 109.75p.

London’s markets were down on Monday.

The FTSE 100 was 0.83 percent lower to 6,540.9 while the FTSE 250 was 0.54 percent lower to 11,328.7.

Northern Rock (LSE: NRK) gained 8.83 percent to 172.5p for the best performance on the 100, on a Sunday Times report that Citibank (NYSE: C) could lend the bank £10 billion.

But Alliance & Leicester (LSE: AL) was lower, falling 2.64 percent to 773p.

Carpet and floor retailer Carpetright (LSE: CPR) had the best day on the 250, adding 4.13 percent to £11.61.

Brewer and pubs operator Marston’s (LSE: MARS) was the biggest loser on the 250, dropping 5.51 percent to 347.25, but brewer Scottish & Newcastle (LSE: SCTN) gained 2.05 percent to 622p on takeover speculation.

Miners were lower on the 100.

Xstrata (LSE: XTA) was down 3.25 percent to £32.12 and Vedanta Resources was 4.31 percent lower to £20.86, while Kazakhmys (LSE: KAZ) fell the most on the 100, down 5.89 percent to £15.02 on the news that copper cathode production is expected to fall.

Property developers and investors were lower.

British Land (LSE: BLND) dropped 2.85 percent to £10.92, while Minerva (LSE: MNR) fell 4.62 percent to 232.25p.

Mortgage lender Bradford & Bingley (LSE: BB) was down 5.18 percent to 270.25p.

Miners led the way in London as the FTSE 100 added 0.73 percent to 6,595.8 and the FTSE 250 gained 0.18 percent to 11,390.4.

Anglo American (LSE: AAL) was up 2.92 percent to £33.43 and Antofagasta (LSE: ANTO) was 3.25 percent higher to 826p, while Kazakhmys (LSE: KAZ) turned in the best performance on the 100 as it added 4.59 percent to £15.96.

Meanwhile over on the 250, price comparison website Moneysupermarket.com (LSE: MONY) was the top performer of the day with a gain of 5.57 percent to 189.5p.

Construction group Severfield-Rowen (LSE: SFR) was up 4.04 percent to £21.10.

House builders and property developers, however, didn’t do as well over on the 100.

Land Securities Group (LSE: LAND) was 3.21 percent lower to £16.87, while British Land (LSE: BLND) was down 3.44 percent to £11.24 after it said it will not sell its stake in Meadowhall shopping center after all.

Barratt Developments (LSE: BDEV) dropped 4.14 percent to 765p while Hammerson (LSE: HMSO) was down 4.26 percent to £11.68.

But Alliance & Leicester (LSE: AL) turned in the worst performance on the 100 as it fell 6.81 percent to 794p on a broker downgrade.

Mortgage lender Bradford & Bingley (LSE: BB) did the worst on the 250, dropping 6.58 percent to 285p.

London’s markets saw gains as well, with the FTSE 100 adding 0.54 percent to 6,535.2 and the FTSE 250 was up 1.15 percent to 11,360.2.

Northern Rock (LSE: NRK) led the 100 with a gain of 11.95 percent to 151.8p on rumors that a US private equity group has arranged funding for a possible takeover.

Alliance & Leicester (LSE: AL) was also higher, adding 7.06 percent to 880p.

But the banking sector was not universally higher.

Merchant bank Close Brothers Group (LSE: CBG) was down 3.47 percent to 794p for the worst day on the 250.

The insurance sector was also mixed.

While Old Mutual (LSE: OML; JSE: OLOML) was up 4.74 percent to 168p, Royal Sun & Alliance (LSE: RSA) was 1.73 percent lower to 153.1p.

Other gainers included house builders Taylor Wimpey (LSE: TW), which added 4.16 percent to 300.75p, and pubs operator Punch Taverns (LSE: PUB) with a gain of 3.87 percent to £10.46.

PartyGaming (LSE: PRTY) was 7.83 percent higher to 31p to lead the 250 on the session.

The worst performance of the day on the 100 came from the telecommunications sector as Vodafone (LSE: VOD; NYSE: VOD; FWB: VOD) dropped 2.51 percent to 171.1p.

Elsewhere in the sector, Cable & Wireless (LSE: CW) was 1.65 percent lower to 185.2p.

Retailers had a difficult day of it.

Sporting goods retailer Sports Direct (LSE: SPD) fell 3.43 percent to 133.75, while Carphone Warehouse (LSE: CPW) was down 1.52 percent to 340.75p and Home Retail (LSE: HOME) was 2.27 percent lower to 398.25p.

In London on Thursday the FTSE 100 added 0.83 percent to 6,486.4 and the FTSE 250 was up 1.38 percent to 11,039.5.

Banks were higher on the 100.

HBOS (LSE: HBOS) gained 4.93 percent to 916p, while Northern Rock (LSE: NRK) was 6.32 percent higher to 193.5p.

Alliance & Leicester (LSE: AL) had the best day on the blue chip index as it added 8.46 percent to 795p.

Insurer Standard Life (LSE: SLET) was also higher, gaining 5.91 percent to 291.25p.

House builder Taylor Wimpey (LSE: TW) jumped 6.59 percent to 275p.

Over on the 250, online gambler PartyGaming (LSE: PRTY) put in the best performance as it added 7.41 percent to 29p.

Commodity-related sectors didn’t have as good a day.

Among miners, Aquarius Platinum (LSE: AQP; ASX: AQP; JSE: AQP) had the worst day on the 250 with a decline of 7.09 percent to £17.31.

Over on the 100, Vedanta Resources (LSE: VED) fell 2.47 percent to £20.57 and Kazakhmys (LSE: KAZ) was down 1.69 percent to £14.55.

In the oil sector, Tullow Oil (LSE: TLW; OTC: TUWLY) was 1.93 percent lower to 585p.

JKX Oil & Gas (LSE: JKX) dropped 3.34 percent to 333p.

Caterer Compass Group (LSE: CPG) had the worst day on the 100, where it fell 2.97 percent to 310.75p.

London’s equities markets saw gains Wednesday as some banks were higher.

The FTSE 100 added 0.56 percent to 6,433 while the FTSE 250 gained 0.33 percent to 10,889.3.

Banks were higher on the 100, led by Northern Rock (LSE: NRK), which was up 11.59 percent to 182p after it said it had received some approaches to buy, as well an offer.

HBOS (LSE: HBOS) was 5.12 percent higher to 873p after Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS) added it to its “conviction buy” list, while Alliance & Leicester (LSE: AL) gained 3.4 percent to 733p.

Internet price comparison site Moneysupermarket.com (LSE: MONY) was the best performer of the day on the 250 as it added 5.49 percent to 173p.

Miners were mixed.

Aquarius Platinum (LSE: AQP; ASX: AQP; JSE: AQP) was 5.37 percent higher to £18.63 on the 250, but Xstrata (LSE: XTA) was down 1.44 percent on the 100 to £31.49.

DSG International (LSE: DSGI) had the worst day on the 100, where it dropped 3.71 percent to 129.9p after Credit Suisse (NYSE: CS; SWX: CSGN) cut the retailer’s target share price from 155p to 95p.

Elsewhere in the retail sector, Carphone Warehouse (LSE: CPW) was down 2.1 percent to 350.25p.

Over on the 250, computer software and video game retailer GAME Group (LSE: GAME) fell 6.93 percent to 188p.

The worst performance on the 250 came from the oil sector, where JKX Oil & Gas (LSE: JKX) was 7.02 percent lower to 344.5p.

London’s markets saw gains Friday, with the FTSE 100 up 0.43 percent to 6,456.7 and the FTSE 250 gaining 0.73 percent to 11,094.7.

Banks were mixed.

While Northern Rock (LSE: NRK) added 4.91 percent to 194.3p, Alliance & Leicester (LSE: AL) dropped another 2.45 percent to 737p.

Energy-related shares were mixed as well.

Electricity generator British Energy (LSE: BGY) turned in the best performance on the 100 with a gain of 6.55 percent to 520.5p, but electric power transmitter National Grid (LSE: NG) was 2.38 percent lower to 759p.

Elsewhere, water utility Kelda Group (LSE: KEL) fell 3.08 percent to 864.5p.

Miners were also mixed.

Vedanta Resources (LSE: VED) added 3.39 percent to £21.35 on the 100, while over on the 250 gold miner Randgold (LSE: RRS; NAS: GOLD) was the worst performer on the 250 with a decline of 4.34 percent to £15.21.

Back on the 100, do-it-yourself retailer Kingfisher (LSE: KFG) fell 3.48 percent to 174.7 for the worst day on the blue-chip index.

Sports retailer JJB (LSE: JJB) was also lower, dropping 3.01 percent to 145p.

PartyGaming (LSE: PRTY) was up 9.47 percent to 26p for the best performance on the 250.

The London Stock Exchange (LSE: LSE) was up 6.7 percent to £18.

Tullow Oil (LSE: TLW; OTC: TUWLY) was also higher, with a gain of 5.84 percent to 607p.

Property developer Daejan Holdings (LSE: DJAN) jumped 6.38 percent to £40.17.

London’s markets were lower on Thursday.

The FTSE 100 was down 0.48 percent to 6,429 while the FTSE 250 was 1.1 percent lower to 11,013.8.

Retailers were mixed on the session, with J Sainsbury (LSE: SBRY) up 2.8 percent to 569p but DIY retailer Kingfisher (LSE: KFG) was down 5.88 percent to 181p and Home Retail (LSE: HOME) fell 5.38 percent to 373.75p.

The best day on the 100 came from cruise line operator Carnival (LSE: CCL; NYSE: CCL), which added 7.08 percent to £23.74.

Insurer Friends Provident (LSE: FP) was 4.24 percent higher to 174.7p, while in the mining sector Anglo American (LSE: AAL) gained 1.69 percent to £31.82 and Kazakhmys (LSE: KAZ) was up 1.9 percent to £14.50.

Northern Rock (LSE: NRK) turned in the worst performance on the 100 once again as it dropped 27.94 percent to 185.2p.

It was followed by Alliance & Leicester (LSE: AL) with a decline of 7.36 percent to 755.5p.

The London Stock Exchange (LSE: LSE) had the best day on the 250, gaining 16.10 percent to €16.87.

The oil sector saw advances.

Cairn Energy (LSE: CNE) was up 3.79 percent to £20, while Tullow Oil (LSE: TLW; OTC: TUWLY) added 4.37 percent to 573.5p.

The worst performance of the day on the 250 came from the leisure sector, where bar and restaurant operator Luminar (LSE: LMR) dropped 9.51 percent to 633p.

Mortgage lender Bradford & Bingley (LSE: BB) was down 8.61 percent to 299.75p, while public transport group Stagecoach (LSE: SGC) fell 5.85 percent to 225.5p.