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.

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 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.

Miners were the big gainers in London on Wednesday, where the FTSE 100 gained 2.81 percent to 6,460 and the FTSE 250 was 3.09 percent higher to 11,136.3.

The five biggest gainers on the 100 were all in the mining sector, where gains came on hopes that the US interest rate cut will help prop up demand for metals.

Anglo American (LSE: AAL) had the best day on the 100, with a gain of 8.27 percent to £31.29.

Vedanta Resources (LSE: VED) was 7.74 percent higher to £20.73, while Kazakhmys (LSE: KAZ) was up 7.07 percent to £14.23, Xstrata (LSE: XTA) added 6.76 percent to £30.50 and Antofagasta (LSE: ANTO) gained 6.71 percent to 787p.

Elsewhere in the sector, BHP Billiton (LSE: BLT; NYSE: BHP; ASX: BHP) was up 6.3 percent to £16.27 and Rio Tinto (LSE: RIO) was 5.8 percent higher to £39.47.

Over on the 250, gold miner Randgold (LSE: RRS; NAS: GOLD) jumped 9.37 percent to £15.64.

Financial services group Bluebay (LSE: BBAY) had the best day on the 250, adding 20.58 percent to 470.25p.

Mortgage lenders also had a good day with Paragon (LSE: PAG) up 9 percent to 327p, while Bradford & Bingley (LSE: BB) gained 10.9 percent to 328p.

Northern Rock (LSE: NRK) dropped again, however, dropping 16.01 percent to 257p for the worst performance on the 100, on rumors that it has received a bid and could be sold for less than market value.

The tobacco sector was also lower on the session.

Imperial Tobacco Group (LSE: IMT) was 0.14 percent lower to £22.07, while British American Tobacco (LSE: BATS; AMEX: BTI; KLSE: BAT) was down 0.3 percent to £16.85.

There were gains in London’s equities markets on Tuesday.

The FTSE 100 added 1.63 to 6,283.3 and the FTSE 250 gained 0.54 percent to 10,802.8.

The 100 was helped out by Alliance & Leicester (LSE: AL) when the bank gained even more on the session than it lost Monday.

A&L was up 32.17 percent to 793p, by far the best performance on the blue chip index.

Other banks also gained although the sector was mixed.

Northern Rock (LSE: NRK) was up 8.22 percent to 306p after two consecutive sessions of over 30 percent declines each day.

Barclays Bank (LSE: BARC; NYSE: BCS; TYO: 8642) was 4.48 percent higher to 607p.

On the other hand, Lloyds TSB (LSE: LLOY) dropped 1.75 percent to 504p.

Also seeing a gain on the 100 was property investment group Liberty International (LSE: LII), which was up 5.06 percent to £11.

House builder Persimmon (LSE: PSN), however, dropped 0.53 percent to 941p, while miner Lonmin led the losers on the 100 as it fell 4.35 percent to €31.46.

Mortgage lenders did well on the 250.

Paragon (LSE: PAG) was 5.86 percent higher to 302.5p, while Bradford & Bingley (LSE: BB) jumped 12.28 percent to 313.25p for the best performance of the day on the 250.

Auto rental group Avis Europe (LSE: AVE) was 2.55 percent higher to 40.25p.

The oil sector didn’t do as well.

Venture Production (LSE: VPC) dropped 1.75 percent to 731.5p, while Tullow Oil (LSE: TLW; OTC: TUWLY) led the losers on the 250 with a decline of 3.95 percent to 511p.

London’ equities markets saw substantial declines again on Monday.

The FTSE 100 was 1.69 percent lower to 6,182.8 and the FTSE 250 dropped 1.91 percent to 10,745.3.

Northern Rock (LSE: NRK) was the biggest decliner on the 100 as it fell 35.45 percent to 282.75p, followed closely by Alliance & Leicester (LSE: AL) with a drop of 31.27 percent to 600p.

Over on the 250, mortgage lender Bradford & Bingley (LSE: BB) was 15.39 percent lower to 279p.

But the worst performer on the 250 was property developer Minerva (LSE: MNR), which was down 16.34 percent to 216.25. House builders fell on the 100.

Persimmon (LSE: PSN) dropped 6.89 percent to 946p, while Barratt Developments was 7.29 percent lower to 769p.

Pubs operator Enterprise Inns dropped 7.37 percent to 578p. Back on the 250, surgical supplies company Gyrus Group (LSE: GYG) was 8.08 percent lower to 398p.

The best performer of the session on the 250 was drug maker Hikma Pharmaceuticals (LSE: HIK) with a gain of 4.68 percent to 425p.

Northern Foods (LSE: NFDS) added 4 percent to 97.5p, while rail and bus transport firm Go-Ahead Group (LSE: GOG) was up 1.66 percent to £25.18.

Software maker Sage Group (LSE: SGE) had the best day on the 100, where it gained 2.77 percent to 250p.

Medical devices manufacturer Smith & Nephew (LSE: SN) added 0.7 percent to 572p, while in the telecommunications sector BT Group (LSE: BT.A; NYSE: BT) was 0.16 percent higher to 316.75p.

London’s equities markets saw declines on Friday.

The FTSE 100 1.17 percent lower to 6,289.3 and the FTSE 250 falling 1.95 percent to 10,954.

Northern Rock (LSE: NRK) had the worst performance by far on the 100, falling 31.46 percent to 438p after it had to ask the Bank of England for help after it could not find a place to borrow money from traditional sources and customers lined up outside branches of the bank to withdraw their money from accounts.

The trouble extended to other banks, with Alliance & Leicester (LSE: AL) dropping 6.88 percent to 873p.

Mortgage lenders were also hurt.

Paragon (LSE: PAG) was down 16.76 percent to 298p for the worst day on the 250.

It was followed by fellow mortgage lender Bradford & Bingley (LSE: BB), which was 7.7 percent lower to 329.75.

Homebuilders were also lower on the day.

Barratt Developments (LSE: BDEV) dropped 4.71 percent to 829p and Persimmon (LSE: PSN) was down 6.62 percent to £10.16 on the 250, while Bellway (LSE: BWY) fell 7.54 percent to £10.67 on the 100.

Oil-related shares saw gains on the 250.

Burren Energy (LSE: BUR) was up 1.79 percent to 853p, while Dana Petroleum (LSE: DNX) added 1.94 percent to £10 and JKX Oil & Gas (LSE: JKX) was 2.25 percent higher to 397.75p.

Gold miner Hochschild (LSE: HOC) had the best day on the 250 as it gained 3.83 percent to 345.25p.

Chemicals group Reckitt Benckiser (LSE: RB) was the best performer on the 100, adding 1.49 percent to £27.99.

Publisher Reed Elsevier (LSE: REL; Euronext: REN; NYSE: ENL; NYSE: RUK) was 1.08 percent higher to 608p, and DIY retailer Kingfisher (LSE: KFG) closed at 196.6p, a gain of 0.2 percent.

Equities markets were lower in London on Wednesday.

The FTSE 100 dropped 0.68 percent to 6,454.3, while the FTSE 250 was down 1.46 percent to 11,415.2.

Pharmaceutical group GlaxoSmithKline (LSE: GSK; NYSE: GSK) topped the 100, adding 2.33 percent to £12.75 on an unexpected increase in second quarter profits based on greater demand for its Advair asthma treatment.

GSK also announced an expansion of its share buy-back program.

Meanwhile on the 250, electronics and engineering group Renishaw (LSE: RSW), which makes gauges and meters, was the top performer with a gain of 14.33 percent to 684p/

Other gainers on the day included the banking sector.

On the 100, Northern Rock (LSE: NRK) added 1.87 percent to 817p, while on the 250 Bradford & Bingley (LSE: BB) gained 0.97 percent to 416.75p and Close Brothers Group (LSE: CBG) was up 1.93 percent to 845p.

Defense aerospace group BAE Systems (LSE: BA; OTCBB: BAESY) was 1.63 percent higher to 435.25p.

On the losing side, British Energy had the worst day on the 100, dropping 5.21 percent to 483.5p on a broker downgrade.

The worst performer on the 250 came from the semiconductors sector, where CSR (LSE: CSR) fell 11.28 percent to 770.5p.

The mining sector declined on copper prices that were lower.

Antofagasta (LSE: ANTO) was 2.47 percent lower to 723p, while Rio Tinto (LSE: RIO) was down 3.65 percent to £35.90.

On the 250, property developer Daejan Holdings (LSE: DJAN) fell 5.75 percent to £38.86, while builder Severfield-Rowen (LSE: SFR) dropped 5.69 percent to £22.36.

London equities markets were lower on Thursday, mainly on declines in financial sectors. The FTSE 100 dropped 0.2 percent to 6,136.5. Meanwhile, the FTSE 250 was 18.6 points lower to 10,323.1.

Losers among financial institutions included HSBC, down 0.8 percent to £10.05. Also lower were Northern Rock, which fell 0.9 percent to £11.91 and Bradford & Bingley, 1.5 percent lower to 466p. Alliance & Leicester dropped 1.8 percent to £11.09. Ironically, life assurer Prudential, which sent the sector lower when it blamed its predicted losses in the second half on a loss in its internet bank, Egg, itself added 0.9 percent on the day to 635p.

In the tobacco sector, Imperial Tobacco was 0.4 percent lower to £18.24 on a downgrade from “buy” to “neutral” from Goldman Sachs.

The oil sector was lower even in the face of expected cuts in production from the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Companies. Royal Dutch Shell dropped 0.6 percent to £18.14, while BP fell 1 percent to 595p.

Vodafone declined 0.6 percent to 128p on news from the European telecommunications sector. Nokia was down on the session, and there were worries that an offer from Telefonica to not charge for incoming calls to customers traveling in Europe could set off a tariff war.

The pharmaceuticals sector saw advances as GlaxoSmithKline added 1 percent to £14.90 and AstraZeneca was 1.5 percent higher to £34.74, its highest share price in nearly five years.