London equities markets were mixed on Monday. The FTSE 100 was 0.2 percent lower to 6,194.2 as dropping metals prices sent the UK mining sector lower. Meanwhile, the FTSE 250 was 0.5 percent higher, closing at 10,712.8. It was the fifth session in a row that the 250 has done better than the 100.

Homebuilders were mixed on the session. Berkeley Group added 6.8 percent to reach a new high of £17.02 on rumors that a consortium had bid for peer Crest Nicholson. The gain brought Berkeley’s advance over six sessions to 19 percent. Crest Nicholson, on the other hand, was 0.1 percent lower to 615p even though it was believed that its institutional shareholders will wait for a higher offer.

The insurance sector was higher, mainly on Resolution’s announcement that it is discussing deals with several other insurers. The life assurer added 5.1 percent to 667½p. Different analysts suggested different deals, including one with Scottish Widows the life assurance division of Lloyds TSB, with the UK life division of Prudential, or with Friends Provident. The talk sent Lloyds TSB up 1 percent to 561p, while Friends Provident added 1.3 percent to 214½p and Prudential gained 2.1 percent to 651½p.

In the mining sector Rio Tinto was 4 percent lower to £27.65, while Xstrata dropped 4.5 percent to £21.92, Kazakhmys fell 5 percent to £11.40 on lower copper prices, and Antofagasta was 5.3 percent lower to 468¼p.

The FTSE 100 dropped 0.37 percent on Friday to end the week at 6,208.4 in a week where at least some stocks in the UK were affected by the elections in the United States on Tuesday.

The pharmaceuticals sector declined in the wake of the Democratic takeover of both houses of Congress on the concern that drug prices could be affected by legislation promised by House speaker-elect Nancy Pelosi to allow direct governmental negotiation of drug prices for recipients of Medicare. GlaxoSmithKline dropped 1.8 percent to £13.61, while AstraZeneca was 2.8 percent lower to £30.03.

Utilities were lower on speculation about takeovers in the sector after Scottish Power said that it had been approached by Spain’s Iberdrola. International Power dropped 1.6 percent to 338¼p, while Severn Trent was 1.7 percent lower to £14.03.

Among the mid-caps, homebuilder Crest Nicholson was 8.9 percent higher to 622½p after it rejected an offer from a group that included the Bank of Scotland.

Miners were higher on positive broker comments and bids rumors. Anglo American added 2.8 percent to £25.56 after one of the richest men in China bought a 1.1 percent stake in the miner, raising speculation that there could be a bid for the company out of China. Lonmin added 8.6 percent to £33.55 after Morgan Stanley raised its target share price to £40.

London equities markets were mixed on Wednesday. The FTSE 100 dropped 0.2 percent to 5,506.8, mostly on declines in the oil sector, while the FTSE 250 added 0.7 percent to 8,782.2. 3.3 billion shares were traded on the day.

Homebuilders were mixed on bids rumors. Crest Nicholson was up 3.6 percent to 505p on speculation that one of its rivals would purchase the 23.4 percent of its shares now held by Heron International. Bovis Homes was the most mentioned possible buyer, sending its shares 2.2 percent lower to 779½p. However, some analysts see either George Wimpey or Barratt Developments as more likely bidders for the shares. Wimpey added 2.7 percent on the day to 428½p, while Barratt gained 1.1 percent to 868p.

In the banking sector, Lloyds TSB added 2.4 percent to 515p on an upgrade to “overweight” and an increase to 611p in its target share price by Morgan Stanley.

Bid rumors in the pharmaceuticals sector sent AstraZeneca 2. 5 percent higher to £30.16 on a revival of talk that Novartis will make an offer. The feeling of some analysts is that these rumors have gained new currency due to the bidding war over German drug maker Schering.

In the oil sector, BP lost 1.3 percent to 586p. Royal Dutch Shell declined by 1.8 percent to £17.35, while BG Group was down 3.3 percent to 635p. Meanwhile, Tullow Oil dropped 2.3 percent to 300¾p even though rumor had it that Royal Dutch Shell might be planning a bid.

The London equities markets were lower on Monday, as the FTSE 100 ended the day down 0.6 percent to 4,620.9 and the FTSE 250 closed at 8.981.2, a decline of 0.5 percent.

Worry over a vote in the US House of Representatives coming up this week on a bill that would make gambling on the internet illegal in the United States sent shares in internet gaming companies lower on the day. PartyGaming dropped 1.95 percent to 113p and 888 Holdings lost 3 percent to 191p. Even with a “buy” recommendation from Canaccord, Empire Online lost 10.1 percent to 82p.

Homebuilders were mixed on the day. McCarthy & Stone was up 0.9 percent to 869p on rumors that it has had inquiries from two sets of private equity groups. However Crest Nicholson dropped 0.4 percent to 498p even though there have been indications that the 23.3 percent of the builder currently owned by Heron International might soon be sold.

Bid rumors were also circulating in the tobacco sector, as there was talk that Imperial Tobacco could be readying a bid for Franco-Spanish tobacco company Altadis. Imperial lost 0.5 percent to £16.36.

Telecommunications company Vodafone lost 2.5 percent to 117½p as an attempt by shareholders to unseat the company’s chief executive seemed destined to fail.

British Airways, however, added 1.5 percent to 346½p as crude oil prices were down substantially when the first tropical storm of the season looked as if it would miss Gulf of Mexico oil production facilities.

The London equities markets were lower on Thursday, with the FTSE 100 down 0.07 percent to 5,671.6 and the FTSE 250 dropping by a substantial 1.5 percent to 9,134.8. Trade was heavy at nearly 4 billion shares on the day. Homebuilders and the oil sector were both instrumental in the declines on both indexes.

In the oil sector, Cairn Energy dropped 4.2 percent to £20.69. Among mid-caps, Dana Petroleum dropped 6 percent to 917½p. Also in stocks related to commodities, miner Kazakhmys was down 3 percent to £10.94.

Among homebuilders, Persimmon dropped 4.4 percent to £11.48, while Taylor Woodrow lost 5.6 percent to 320½p and George Wimpey was down 4.3 percent to 436½p. Crest Nicholson dropped 3.2 percent to 320¼p and Bovis Homes was down 4.5 percent to 755p. A major factor in the sector’s declines was said to be reaction to the news that a member of the Bank of England’s monetary policy committee had voted to raise interest rates at the committee’s meeting this month.

Telecom BT Group added 8 percent on the day to 226¼p on a positive quarterly earnings report and predications that there is more growth to come.

Among losers, brewer SABMiller lost 3 percent £10.61 despite a strong full-year earnings report, when it warned of higher input costs and price declines in the US beer market.

The London equities markets were down on Friday at the end of a losing week. The FTSE 100 declined by 0.5 percent on the day and lost 1.7 percent this week to close at 6,023.1, while the FTSE 250 was down by 0.5 percent on the day and by 0.7 percent on the week to 9,878.7.

There were notable gainers on the day, however. In the banking sector, Standard Chartered added 2.9 percent to £14.56 after going as high as £15.17 earlier in the day on talk that Temasek of Singapore might buy more of a stake in the bank on top of the 11.5 percent it bought last month. Alliance & Leicester was also up on the day, by 1 percent to £11.23, on renewed bids rumors.

British Energy was up 0.7 percent to 662p after Lehman Brothers said that weakness in share prices in the sector due to declines in carbon dioxide prices were overdone.

Pharmaceuticals company GlaxoSmithKline added 1.6 percent to £15.56 on an upgrade from “equal weight” to “overweight” by Morgan Stanley.

Homebuilders were mixed on the day. Crest Nicholson gained 3.6 percent to 555p on bids talk, but Bovis Homes and Persimmon were both down, by 1.1 percent to £13.10 and 2.6 percent, also to £13.10.

Among losers, broadcaster BSkyB was down 0.9 percent on the day to 525½p on worries that it might be required to resubmit its bid for two licenses to carry English Premiership football.

In London on Wednesday the FTSE 250 went above 10,000 for the first time although it ended just below that level at 9,997.6, a gain of 0.3 percent on the day. The FTSE 100 also added 0.3 percent on the day to close at 6,104.3. The 100 benefited from gains in the financial sectors, while homebuilders helped the 250 into record territory.

There were declines on the day, however. British Energy dropped 4.6 percent to 682p after the price of European carbon dioxide emission credits dropped. And EMI was down 0.95 percent after recent gains when Merrill Lynch said that the benefits of a possible merger with US company Warner Music has now been incorporated into its share price. EMI closed at 285¾p.

Among financial companies, fund management group Amvescap gained 8.7 percent to 624p on a much better than anticipated first-quarter earnings report. Among banks, Lloyds TSB added 1.5 percent to 532p on a comment from Deutsche Bank that its dividend could increase next year, along with a reiteration of its “buy” recommendation and its 610p target share price.

Homebuilders were up on more rumors of mergers. Crest Nicholson was up 3.4 percent to 532½p on speculation that Bovis Homes Group is interested in buying the 23.3 percent the company currently owend by Heron International. Bovis added 0.3 percent to 908p on the talk.

Carphone Warehouse gained 5 percent to 338¾p after it’s house broker upgraded it to “outperform” and raised its target share price to 420p, a rise of 68 percent. It figures that the company’s recently launched bundled internet/phone service could increase profits by a significant amount in the next few years.

The London equities markets were down on Monday as the FTSE 100 dropped 0.1 percent to 5,991.7 and the FTSE 250 declined by 0.3 percent to 9,815.0.

Once again, bids and rumours of bids drove trade on the day. In the insurance sector, Prudential was up 10.6 percent to 743½p after it rejected a bid from Aviva, hoping to start a bidding war. Aviva lost 0.2 percent to 848½p after the rebuff. Elsewhere in the sector, Friends Provident gained 2.2 percent to 218¼p, Legal & General gained 0.9 percent to 144¾p, and Royal & Sun Alliance closed 0.4 higher to 140p after losing earlier gains.

BG Group was up 1.2 percent to reach a record share price of 709p on rumors that a major company, perhaps ExxonMobil, would bid on the gas utility.

Homebuilder Crest Nicholson added 4.6 percent to 570½p, for a total gain of 18 percent in a week, after it was said that it could be the target of a bid, perhaps from Bovis Homes. Bovis discounted the rumors.

MFI Furniture was up 0.2 percent to 102¾p despite broker surprise that it has put on 56 percent since last month due to rumors that it might sell its Howden joinery division. Despite the gains, broker Seymour Pierce confirmed its “sell” recommendation and left its target sha

The London equities markets were down on Monday as the FTSE 100 dropped 0.1 percent to 5,991.7 and the FTSE 250 declined by 0.3 percent to 9,815.0.

Once again, bids and rumours of bids drove trade on the day. In the insurance sector, Prudential was up 10.6 percent to 743½p after it rejected a bid from Aviva, hoping to start a bidding war. Aviva lost 0.2 percent to 848½p after the rebuff. Elsewhere in the sector, Friends Provident gained 2.2 percent to 218¼p, Legal & General gained 0.9 percent to 144¾p, and Royal & Sun Alliance closed 0.4 higher to 140p after losing earlier gains.

BG Group was up 1.2 percent to reach a record share price of 709p on rumors that a major company, perhaps ExxonMobil, would bid on the gas utility.

Homebuilder Crest Nicholson added 4.6 percent to 570½p, for a total gain of 18 percent in a week, after it was said that it could be the target of a bid, perhaps from Bovis Homes. Bovis discounted the rumors.

MFI Furniture was up 0.2 percent to 102¾p despite broker surprise that it has put on 56 percent since last month due to rumors that it might sell its Howden joinery division. Despite the gains, broker Seymour Pierce confirmed its “sell” recommendation and left its target share price at 70p.