London saw gains on Friday on advances in the oil and mining sectors.

The FTSE 100 was 1.29 percent higher to 6,661.3 and the FTSE 250 was up 0.25 percent to 11,509.6.

Record-high oil prices sent the oil sector higher.

BP (LSE: BP; NYSE: BP; TYO: 5051) gained 2.69 percent to 629p, while Royal Dutch Shell’s (LSE: RDSA, RDSB; NYSE: RDS.A, RDS.B) A shares added 2.95 percent to £21.28 and its B shares jumped 3.01 percent to £21.21.

Meanwhile in the mining sector, Antofagasta (LSE: ANTO) was up 3.85 percent to 849.5p, while Rio Tinto (LSE: RIO) was 4.3 percent higher to £44.17 and Xstrata (LSE: XTA) gained 5.6 percent to £35.28.

Retailers took the top spots among both winners and losers on the 100.

Do-it-yourself retailer Kingfisher (LSE: KFG) added 7.05 percent to 185.3p on takeover rumors, while supermarket chain J Sainsbury (LSE: SBRY) dropped 3.17 percent to 565.5p on the news that a possible bidder is trying to raise enough money for the bid.

Electricity and natural gas utility Centrica (LSE: CAN) was 2.21 percent lower to 364.25p, while electricity generator British Energy (LSE: BGY) fell 1.82 percent to 538p.

Over on the 250, internet price comparison sites were mixed. Moneysupermarket.com (LSE: MONY) added 3.85 percent to 202.25p, but property search website Rightmove (LSE RMV) dropped 4.76 percent to 600p.

In London on Wednesday, the FTSE 100 added 0.96 percent to 6,677.7 and the FTSE 250 gained 1.51 percent to 11,538.

The big gainer on the 100 was brewer Scottish & Newcastle (LSE: SCTN), which jumped 18.77 percent to 756p after Carlsberg (OMX: CARL A, CARL B) and Heineken (Euronext: HEIA) said they are in talks concerning forming a consortium to make a bid for the UK brewer.

Elsewhere in the sector SAB Miller (LSE: SAB) added 2.3 percent to £14.62.

Among retailers, supermarkets also saw gains.

Tesco (LSE: TSCO) was 1.9 percent higher to 475p, while Wm Morrison (LSE: MRW) gained 4.09 percent to 298.75p.

Elsewhere in the retail sector, sporting goods retailer Sports Direct (LSE: SPD) was up 10.99 percent to 156.5p for the best day on the 250.

Other gainers included food processor Tate & Lyle (LSE: TATE), which was 7.63 percent higher to 455p, and Imperial Tobacco Group (LSE: IMT) with a gain of 4.31 percent to £23.97.

In the banking sector, Northern Rock was back in the losing column dropping 7.16 percent to 207.5p for the worst day on the 100.

Miner Rio Tinto (LSE: RIO) fell 1.47 percent to £43.54 after it said iron production dropped 2 percent in the quarter ending September 30 from the previous quarter.

In the oil sector, BP (LSE: BP; NSYE: BP; TYO: 5051) was 1.2 percent lower to 619.5p.

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.

In London the FTSE 100 added 0.09 percent to 6,730.7, but the FTSE 250 dropped 0.4 percent to 11,576.3.

Northern Rock moved back into the gainers column with the best day on the 100, adding 5.91 percent to 273.25p on the possibility that Virgin Group is looking at a rescue of the troubled bank.

The oil sector was mixed on the session.

Dana Petroleum (LSE: DNX) was 3.66 percent higher to £13.04 and BP (LSE: BP; NYSE: BP; TYO: 5051) was up 4.3 percent to 619p, but Hunting (LSE: HTG) dropped 3.58 percent to 755p.

Online price comparison site Moneysupermarket.com (LSE: MONY) led the 250 with a gain of 4.8 percent to 191p.

The biggest loser on the 250 was holding company Rank Group (LSE: RNK), which fell 21.38 percent to 125p on the session.

House builders were still feeling the pain of Thursday’s new data showing that home prices fell again in September.

Persimmon (LSE: PSN) was 2.69 percent lower to 976p, while Barratt Developments (LSE: BDEV) was down 3.19 percent to 699p and Taylor Wimpey (LSE: TW) dropped 3.27 percent to 281.25p.

London’s equities markets saw significant losses on Thursday.

The FTSE 100 fell 4.1 percent to 5,858.9, the first time it had closed below the 6,000 level since March, while the FTSE 250 closed at 10,462.6 for a drop of 3.92 percent.

There were no winners on the 100 on the session, and miners were the five worst performers there after metals prices declined.

Kazakhmys (LSE: KAZ) dropped 8.38 percent to £10.71, while Vedanta Resources (LSE: VED) fell 8.44 percent to £14.98.

Anglo American (LSE: AAL) was 9.36 percent lower to £24.70, Lonmin (LSE: LMI) was down 9.41 percent to £27.92 and Antofagasta fell 10.98 percent to 608p for the worst performance of the day on the 100.

The oil sector declined as well, as the price of crude oil dropped.

BP (LSE: BP; NYSE: BP; TYO: 5051) was down 4.06 percent to 520p, while Royal Dutch Shell’s (LSE: RDSA, RDSB; NYSE: RDS.A, RDS.B) A shares dropped 4.43 percent to £17.69.

On the 250, Premier Oil (LSE: PMO) was down 9.19 percent to 914.5p for the worst performance of the day on that index. The financial services sector was much lower.

Northern Rock (LSE: NRK) was 4.2 percent lower to 659p after Merrill Lynch (NYSE: MER; TYO: 8675) dropped its target share price from £11.30 to 913p and JP Morgan (NYSE: JPM; TYO: 8634) reduced it from 830p to 690p.

Standard Chartered (LSE: STAN; SEHK: 2888), with substantial exposure in Asia, fell 7.55 percent to £14.44.

Investment manager Invesco (LSE: AVZ; NYSE: IVZ) was 6.53 percent lower to 551.5p, while hedge fund Man Group (LSE: EMG) dropped 8.31 percent to 446.75p.

Electricity generators also had substantial losses.

Drax Group (LSE: DRX) fell 4.04 percent to 605p, while International Power was 6.23 percent lower to 383p and British Energy dropped 7.98 percent to 417.75p after it said that core profit was down 12 percent in its fiscal first quarter after trouble shut down two facilities.

There were some gainers on the 250, where property group Daejan Holdings (LSE: DJAN) gained 6.57 percent to £35.22.

Publisher Euromoney Institutional Investor (LSE: ERM), which is 70 percent owned by Daily Mail and General Trust (LSE: DMGT), added 1.93 percent to 580p, while retail baker Greggs (LSE: GRG) gained 0.41 percent to €48.50.

The London markets were higher on Friday, with the FTSE 100 0.83 percent higher to 6,690.1.

The FTSE 250 added 0.55 percent to 11,867.3.

The oil sector was higher on short supplies and continuing worries about the situation in Nigeria.

BP (LSE: BP; NYSE: BP; TYO: 5051) was 1.08 percent higher to 610p, while BG Group (LSE: BG; NYSE: BG) added 1.97 percent to 829p.

Royal Dutch Shell’s (LSE: RDSA, RDSB; NYSE: RDS A, RDS B) A shares gained 2.87 percent to £21.15 after it said that it will begin once again to drill in the Arctic.

Miners also saw gains. Antofagasta (LSE: ANTO) added 2.63 percent to 663.5p, while Xstrata (LSE: XTA) was 3.03 percent higher to £32.66 and Vedanta Resources (LSE: VED) gained 3.15 percent to £17.01.

BHP Billiton (LSE:BLT; ASX: BHP; NYSE: BHP) had the best day on the 100, adding 3.69 percent to £15.16.

Gainers on the 250 included kitchen equipment manufacturer Aga Foodservice (LSE: AGA), which was 7 percent higher to 412.5p after it said it is thinking about selling its commercial division.

Decliners on the 100 included Intercontinental Hotels (LSE: IHG; NYSE: IHG), which was down 1.37 percent to £12.98.

In the business services sector, Experian (LSE: EXPN) dropped 1.58 percent to 623.5p for the worst performance of the day on the 100.

Equities markets were lower in London on Monday, but the declines were not nearly as big as those seen in Asia on the session. The FTSE 100 was 0.9 percent lower to 6,058.7, while the FTSE 250 fell 1.7 percent to 10,857.9. The 100 was below the 6,000 level for the first time since October during part of the session but was able to regain some of those losses as the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up slightly as the London session closed.

Miners and the oil sector suffered losses as commodities prices fell. Xstrata (LSE: XTA) fell 1.4 percent to £23.32, while Kazakhmys (LSE: KAZ) dropped 2.3 percent to £10.61 and Vedanta Resources was 3.1 percent lower to £11.80.

Among oil companies, Royal Dutch Shell (LSE: RDSA, RDSB; NYSE: RDS A, RDS B) was down 0.8 percent to £16.21. BP (LSE: BP; NYSE: BP; TYO: 5051) fell 1.1 percent to 511½p. Meanwhile, Cairn Energy (LSE: CNE) dropped 2.7 percent to £15.49, making it more likely that it will be delisted from the FTSE after tomorrow’s review.

British Airways (LSE: BAY; NYSE: BAB), which usually benefits from lower oil prices, still dropped 6.6 on the day to 497p on several issues, including a possible loss of earnings if an “open skies” agreement allows more carriers to fly trans-Atlantic routes out of Heathrow.

In the banking sector, HSBC (LSE: HSBA; NYSE: HBC; Euronext: HSBC; SEKH: 005) bucked the general losing trend to add 1.1 percent to 896p after it said that its pre-tax profits were up 4 percent in its full-year report.

Both the FTSE 100 and the FTSE 250 were higher in London on Monday. The 100 added 0.1 percent to 6,317.9 on gains in the oil and telecommunications sectors, while the 250 gained 0.6 percent to 11,406.5.

In the oil sector, BP was 1.2 percent higher to 541½p on an upgrade to “buy” from Goldman Sachs before the oil company presents its full-year report on Tuesday. It was rumored that BP could announce a big increase in dividends when it presents its report. Elsewhere in the sector, Royal Dutch Shell gained 1 percent to £17.24.

In the telecommunications sector, Cable & Wireless added 1.6 percent to 174¼p on a target share price of 200p from Credit Suisse. C&W has gained 60 percent since June 2006. BT Group also received positive broker comment in the form of a repeat of a “buy” rating from Citigroup, which also raised the telecom’s target share price from 315p to 335p. The remarks and upgrade sent BT 1.2 percent higher to 315¾p.

Johnson Matthey, which has interests in both precious metals and pharmaceuticals, added 6.1 percent to £15.83 on an upgrade to buy from UBS, which also set a target share price of £18. In a lengthy report, UBS said that JM will likely see five years of earnings growth in double digits, mostly from growth in its autocatalyst division as the US and Europe set higher emissions standards on diesel vehicles, as well asl from a new prostate cancer drug which is currently in the final stages of clinical trials.

Both the FTSE 100 and the FTSE 250 were higher on Wednesday. The 100 added 1.4 percent to 6,314.8, its highest close since January 3, while the 250 was 0.8 percent higher to 11,192.8.

The oil sector gained on the announcement that the United States plans to double the size of its strategic oil reserves by buying an extra 100,000 barrels of crude oil per day, as well as on a report that Dominion Resources, a US company, had received a bid. BP added 0.6 percent to 548½p, while Royal Dutch Shell gained 1.2 percent to £17.39.

Banks were up as well. Alliance & Leicester was 2.6 percent higher to £11.11, while Royal Bank of Scotland gained 2.9 percent to £21.03 and Northern Rock added 4.1 percent to £12.12 on higher profits than expected and record mortgage lending.

In the mining sector, Kazakhmys added 4.8 percent to £11.19 on a positive broker recommendation. Vedanta Resources was 5.8 percent higher to £11.90 on takeover rumors.

Properties groups benefited after the most recent Bank of England meeting minutes were revealed, showing that the vote was very close on the interest rate hike earlier this month. The closeness of the vote brought hope that interest rates would not be going up again soon, a positive sign for the properties market. British Land added 2.9 percent to £16.12, while Liberty International gained 4.4 percent to £13.18.