The London equities markets were lower on Friday, with the FTSE 100 down 0.2 percent to 6,149.5. The FTSE 250 dropped 0.1 percent to 11,556.4. Only 2.6 billion shares traded hands in a day of light trade. Despite the slow day and the declines, the 100 added 0.6 percent over the full week and the 250 was up 0.3 percent over the five sessions.

The retail sector saw gains. After an upgrade from “sell” to “buy” from Societe Generale, Kingfisher added 3.5 percent to 259½p. The broker also raised Kingfisher’s target share price to 342p. Next gained 1.8 percent to £20.93, also on an upgrade. Goldman Sachs raised its rating on the clothing retailer from “neutral” to “buy”, calling it a consolidation target.

Caterer Compass gained 0.9 percent to 312p after issuing a positive trading update.

Amvescap was 1.5 percent higher to 632p after it said it was thinking about changing its primary lisitng to the US. The fund manager, which is in process of changing its name to Invesco, does the vast majority of its business in North America. Citigroup said that if Amvescap does switch its listing, share prices could go up. Currently its share price is around 20 percent lower than US rivals such as T Rowe Price.

In the media sector, Gcap Media dropped 9.9 percent to 217p after UBS placed 13.6 million shares of the owner of Capital Radio for an institutional client at a price of 225p. That number of shares represents 8.2 percent of the company.

London equities markets were up on Friday but closed lower over the week, with the FTSE 100 adding 0.36 for the day but dropping 1.2 percent for the week to end at 5,879.3 and the FTSE 250 up 0.32 Friday but down by 1 percent on the week to 9.606.3.

Miners were down as investors worried that China will say on Monday that it has a large trade surplus, leading to a tightening of monetary policy there. Antofagasta fell 2 percent to 461p, wile Vedanta Resources declined by 3 percent to £13.21.

GCap Media dropped 4 percent to 200¾p when Merrill Lynch cut its earnings forecast for the company by 42 percent.

Among pharmaceuticals companies, AstraZeneca was 1.3 percent lower to £33 on a downgrade to “hold” from Citigroup on valuation concerns.

In the oil sector, Regal Petroleum added 7.2 percent to 119½p, while Xtract Energy was up 32 percent to 10.3p on a new discovery of a shale deposit in Australia that could yield up to 1.6 billion barrels of oil.

The biggest winner among blue-chips was Next. The fashion retailer gained 3.8 percent to £17.28 on bids rumors, even though analysts were skeptical of the talk.

In London on Friday, equities markets were up slightly with the FTSE 100 up by only 3 points to 5,903.4 and the FTSE 250 adding 0.3 percent to 9.513.0. These small gains added on earlier increases, with the 100 up 1.7 percent over the week and the 250 gaining 2.8 percent since Monday’s opening.

Bids news spurred gains in the media sector. It was revealed that SMG, which owns STV and Virgin Radio, is in talks with UTV sent SMG 2.9 percent higher to 72p, while UTV added 7.6 percent to 344¼p. GCAP Media was also the center of takeover talk, sending it 3.2 percent higher to 215p.

In the tobacco sector, Imperial Tobacco gained 2.2 percent to £18.18 on the news that while a US court found Altria and Reynolds American guilty of violating racketeering laws it did not impose a fine on either company. Analysts said that this outcome made it more likely that the Phillip Morris division of Altria would make an immediate bid for Imperial.

Among losers on the day was PartyGaming, which was 2.2 percent lower to 111p after ABN Amro reduced its recommendation on the online gamer from “buy” to “hold”. Miner Kazakhmys declined by 2.3 percent on the news that China has raised interest rates weighed on mining stocks, as investors were concerned that the move would have an effect on the demand for metals. Among mid-caps, Carphone Warehouse dropped 1.7 percent to 266¾p after Citigroup began coverage of the company with as “sell” recommendation.

In London on Monday the FTSE 100 was 2 percent higher, to 5,833.9 as quarterly reports continued to come in. The 100 as a whole was helped by the news that US hospital chain HCA is being purchased by a consortium that includes Bain Capital and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts for $21 billion. Meanwhile, the FTSE 250 also saw gains, closing the day at 9,223.5.

Vodafone gained 3.6 percent to 115¼p when it announced that revenues grew by 4.5 percent in the first quarter. Even so, its head in Europe will leave as revenues in German and Italy were down.

In the online gaming sector, PartyGaming seemed to be attempting to recover from last week’s losses by adding 8 percent to 104½p.

Plumber Wolseley added 3.1 percent to £11.12 when it said it has purchased DT Group, a Nordic building materials supplier.

Amvescap said it would buy the private equity group owned by US investor Wilbur Ross, sending its shares up by 4.8 percent to 481¾p.

Bids rumors sent Whitbread 6.1 percent higher to £12.44 after it was said that Starwood Capital had an offer ready. The news spurred Panmure Gordon to reconfirm its “buy” recommendation and 1370p target share price on Whitbread.

On the losing side, GCap Media fell 7.5 percent to 197½p on an announcement of revenues lower than expected in the March through June quarter.

In London on Tuesday, the FTSE 100 added 1 percent to 6,082.1 as oil companies and miners saw gains as commodities prices continue to rise, while the FTSE250 was up 0.46 percent to 9,924.4.

In the mining sector, Kazakhmys gained 4.9 percent to £11.94, as Xstrata added 4 percent to £20.63 and Antofagasta was up 3.65 percent to £24.40.

Cairn Energy hit a new record high share price, adding 5.25 percent to £24.48 with an upgrade to “buy” and a raised target share price of £27.50 from Merrill Lynch. Elsewhere in the sector, BG group was up 3.6 percent to 763½p and BP gained 1.7 percent to 688p.

Retailers also saw gains on the day, with Woolworths adding 2.3 percent to 33½p on rumors that the Reuben brothers could be interested. JBB Sports gained 1.8 percent to 183¼p.

The media sector did not do as well on the day. GCap Media dropped 4.7 percent to 242p on rumors that its flagship station, Capital 95.8FM was not getting as much of an audience as hoped for and on negative comments from Deutsche Bank. Meanwhile, ITV was down 1.3 percent to 113½p on a drop in advertising, despite the upcoming World Cup.

The London equities markets were lower on Monday as banks dropped, with the FTSE 100 down by 0.55 percent to 6,098.7 and the FTSE 250 falling 0.2 percent to 9,949.2.

Alliance & Leicester was down 2.25 percent to £11.28 when a bid that had been in the rumor mill last week was not forthcoming. HBOS was down 1.65 percent to 952p and Lloyds TSB dropped by 1.6 percent to 522p on worries surrounding the domestic mortgage market.

Insurer Prudential dropped 3 percent to 637½p when Morgan Stanley placed 2.25 million shares, nearly 1 percent of the company’s stocks at 642p.

Another loser was GCap Media, down 2.86 percent to 255p on profit-taking after a gain of 19 percent last week.

Imperial Tobacco held steady at £17.60 as it was reported that it has hired two banks to advise it on a possible bid for Franco-Spanish tobacco company Altadis.

Among gainers, EMI added 5.66 percent to 294p after rumors over the weekend that it is ready to resume talks with US company Warner Music concerning a possible merger. Traders were inclined to believe the rumors, but say that there are many details to be settled before a deal can be reached, not the least of which are who will run the new company and where it will be listed.

One of the biggest gainers on the FTSE 250 for the day was drilling contractor Abbot Group, which added 5.26 percent to 340p, its highest share price ever, primarily on its newest acquisition, Songa Drilling.

In London on Friday the FTSE 100 added 0.8 percent to 6,132.7, a five-year high. The 100 was up 1.7 percent in the holiday-shortened week. The FTSE 250 was up 0.6 percent for the day and 1.8 percent on the week to close at 9,950.8.

Miners and oil were both instrumental in the day’s gains. Copper prices on the rise again after Thursday’s declines helped Antofagasta up by 5.1 percent to £24.68, its highest-ever share price. Elsewhere in the sector, Xstrata added 4.6 percent to £20.87 and Kazakhmys gained 4.3 percent to £12.39.

In the oil sector, Royal Dutch Shell was up 2.2 percent to end the day at £20.43.

Bid rumors led to gains in several sectors. Among banks, Alliance & Leicester gained 0.7 percent to £11.54 on talk that French bank Crédit Agricole would offer for A&L, possibly as soon as Monday. Elsewhere in the sector, Lloyds TSB added 0.8 percent to 530½p on renewed talk of a possible bid from Citigroup.

Gcap Media gained 8 percent to 262½p after Oriel Securities said that GCaps collection of radio stations would be an attractive acquisition.

Homebuilder Wilson Bowden added 1.7 percent to £15.72, also on bid rumors.

Shire Pharmaceuticals was up 2.3 percent to 878p after it was announced that the US Food and Drug Administration is still looking at a request that generic versions of Shire’s hyperactivity drug Adderall be subjected to rigorous testing.

Medical devices manufacturer Smith & Nephew gained 3.5 percent to 518½p ahead of its quarterly earnings report, due next Thursday.