Equities markets in London were up on Wednesday, with the FTSE 100 adding 0.9 percent to 5,932.1 and the FTSE 250 gaining 0.5 percent to 9,394.0. Volumes were still low, at 2.4 billion shares traded during the session.

Leading the leaders among blue-chips was ITV, which was up 4.6 percent to 101½p. The gains came amid rumors that the broadcaster’s chief executive will step down. ITV has been in focus recently over falling advertising revenues.

Cadbury Schweppes added 3.2 percent to 537½p even though it admitted that a recent incident that resulted in the contamination of some of its chocolate bars with salmonella will cost the company £20 million. The gain came on investor relief that the costs were only half the €40 million named in speculation.

Despite gains overall on the day, there were some significant declines in individual stocks. Corus dropped 3 percent to 415p on a warning from UBS that the industry as a whole is on the decline and a cut in the steel maker’s rating from “buy” to “neutral”.

A downgrade also hurt BSkyB. Citigroup downgraded the satellite broadcaster to “sell”, saying that new competition could have an impact on margins. BSkyB was 0.8 percent lower to 551p. In the banking sector, Lloyds TSB dropped 1.1 percent to 528p after Dresdner Kleinwort dropped its rating to “reduce”.

In the pharmaceuticals sector, GlaxoSmithKline fell 1.8 percent to £14.38 after going ex-dividend.

London equities markets were mixed on Wednesday as the FTSE 100 added 0.12 percent late in the day to close at 5,665, but the FTSE 250 lost 0.3 percent to 9,093.1. Once again, volumes were low with only 2.5 billion shares changing hands.

Eighteen percent of all the shares traded on the day were from Vodafone, which ended the day up 0.2 percent to 114¼p.

The 100’s gains were helped by the mining sector, where stocks advanced as the prices of metals rose. Vedanta Resources added 2.5 percent to £13.09, while Lonmin gained 2.9 percent to £26.41 and Kazakhmys was up 3.1 percent to £10.95.

Online gamer PartyGaming added 3.25 percent to 119¼p on rumors that one US bank was telling its customers to buy shares because current attempts to make online gambling illegal in the US will not succeed.

In the media sector, ITV added 2.7 percent to 105¼p despite a negative trading update, as the broadcaster announced an increase in its share buyback.

Mitchells & Butlers added 0.4 percent to 505¼p. However, analysts said that it could have trouble on Thursday after an after-session announcement that Violet Capital, controlled by financier Robert Tchenguiz, no longer owns a reportable share of the pub operator.

In London on Monday, the FTSE 100 added 0.5 percent to 5,626.1, while the FTSE 250 was up 0.2 percent to 9,114.1. Trade was light, with just barely over 2 billion shares changing hands during the day. Light trade is expected to last throughout the week as investors are distracted by the World Cup.

Among media companies, ITV - down 17 percent since March, when it rejected an offer from a private equity consortium - was up slightly to 105¼p on the possibility that it might announce an increased share buyback and more cost-cutting measures on Wednesday. Elsewhere in the sector, BSkyB gained 2.3 percent to 564p on positive comments from Lehman Brothers. EMI added 2.8 percent to 278¾p when Credit Suisse raised the music group’s target share price from 300p to 310p. In addition, there was talk that EMI might revise its offer for Warner Music.

Hotel operator De Vere added 3 percent to 824p on weekend reports that said four different bidders have expressed interest. The latest possible bidder named is Richard Balfour-Lynn, the head of Marylebone Warwick Balfour, which gained 3.3 percent to 189½p.

In the insurance sector, Royal Sun & Alliance was up 2.8 percent to 126½p on the news that it will eliminate 1,550 jobs as a cost-cutting measure. Prudential added 3.2 percent to 566p. In addition, Friends Provident was up to 174¾p, while Legal & General climbed to 125¾p.

In London on Thursday, the equities markets were down despite gains in the mining sector. The FTSE 100 dropped 0.7 percent to 6,042, while the FTSE 250 was down 0.33 percent to 10,075.4.

In the retail sector Marks & Spencer, which hit an eight-year high on Wednesday, dropped 3.2 percent to 611p after it was said that Icelandic investment company Baugur had sold 40 million M&S shares.

The media sector was mixed. ITV dropped 2.4 percent to 111¼p after Citigroup dropped its rating to “sell” on weak advertising growth. On the other hand, BSkyB added 2.2 percent to 528½p on an upgrade from “underweight” to “equal-weight” from Morgan Stanley after an analyst admitted that he had been wrong about the satellite broadcaster’s growth. The upgrade came only a few days after Sky regained control of TV rights for Premier League football.

Miners were up on the day, with Xstrata adding 3.4 percent to £24.80. Kazakhmys was up 3 percent to £13.70, Antofagasta gained 1.1 percent to £25.53, and BHP Billiton advanced by 0.8 percent to £12.11. Rio Tinto added 1.25 percent to £33.22 on talk that it had appointed advisors ahead of a possible bid for Phelps Dodge.

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 mixed on Tuesday as the FTSE 100 was hurt by a declining oil sector but the FTSE 250 was helped out by bid rumors in the homebuilding sector. The 100 dropped 0.2 percent to 6,086.6, while the 250 added 0.1 percent to 9,966.9.

Oil exploration company Cairn Energy was down 2 percent to £23.70 on lower oil prices and talk that the company’s directors had been selling their own shares in the company in order to profit from the company’s recent advances. Cairn has added 23 percent to its share price since the beginning of the year.

In the homebuilding sector, Bellway was said to be especially attractive to possible bidders with one of the lowest share prices in the sector. Bellway added 0.4 percent on the day to £11.91.

Still in mergers and acquisitions, broadcaster ITV was rumored to be about to receive an offer from Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, a private equity group. ITV was up 1.3 percent to 116p. Takeover speculation also surrounded pubs group Greene King, which lost 0.8 percent on the day to 755½p. Entrepreneur Michael Cannon was said to be interested.

In the steel sector, Corus was up 1.1 percent to 88¼p as Citigroup reiterated its “buy” recommendation and upped its target share price from 90p to 100p.

The London equities markets fell victim to profit-taking on Friday, with the FTSE 100 dropping 0.8 percent to 5,964.6 and the FTSE 250 losing 0.1 percent to 9,850.3. Despite the losses, both indices were up in the first quarter of the year, with the FTSE 100 gaining 6.2 percent, while the FTSE 250 was up a full 12 percent over the three months. Friday’s volume was 3.5 billion shares traded.

Miners have done very well so far in 2006, with Corus adding almost 50 percent and both Xstrata and Kazakhnys up by close to 40 percent.

As far as the daily results, broadcaster ITV dropped 4.6 percent to 119¼p on the news that it had rejected a second bid from a group of venture capitalists. Another loser was Dana Petroleum, which lost 4 percent to £10.08 when it was learned that Merrill Lynch and ABN Amro are placing around 20 percent of the company’s share capital for sale.

Water companies were also down as investors worried that they might be fined for not meeting customer service standards. Severn Trent lost 2.5 percent to £11.17, while Kelda was down 2.2 percent to 788½p and Pennon Group declined by 1.6 percent to £13.41.

The leisure sector saw gains, with Rank Group up 3.4 percent to 225½p amid bid rumors. Stanley Leisure added 2.5 percent to 734p.

In the retail sector, Marks and Spencer gained 0.6 percent to 556½p on the announcement that it had sold its US supermarket unit, Kings Super Market for £35.4 million. In addition, Deutsche Bank raised its target share price to 625p.

In London on Wednesday, the FTSE 100 closed up 0.3 percent to 6,007.5, the first time it has closed above 6,000 in five years. Meanwhile, the FTSE 250 was 0.5 percent higher to close at 9,858.6. Continued bid rumors and gains in the property sector were instrumental in the day’s advances.

Shares in property companies were up an the news that new rules on the introduction of tax-efficient property investment vehicles were less restrictive than they had been expected to be. Slough Estates gained 13.4 percent on the day to 685p, while Land Securities was up 12.9 percent to £20.80, British Land advanced by 11.9 percent to £13.00, and Hammerson added 9.2 percent.

BT Group gained 2.4 percent to 234½p on more intense rumors that a private equity consotium was going to bid, possibly offering as much as 265p per share. Elsewhere in the telecommunications sector, Cable & Wireless dropped 2.7 percent to 109¾p as bid rumors lessened in intensity.

Broadcaster ITV was up 9.4 percent to 650½p after it said it had rejected a bid from a consortium that included Apax Partners and Goldman Sachs, saying that the offer was not in the best interest of shareholders.

The London Stock Exchange dropped 3.3 percent to £11.38 when Credit Suisse downgraded it to “neutral” from “outperform”.

The London equities markets were lower on Wednesday, with the FTSE 250 having its worst day in five months. The FTSE 100 was down 0.8 percent to 5,812.9, while the FTSE 250 dropped 1.6 percent to 9,304.5 on a volume of 3.7 billion shares traded.

In the banking sector, the Royal Bank of Scotland was down 2.8 percent to £18.52. Lloyds TSB fell 4 percent to 521¾p.

Among miners, Anglo American lost 2.9 percent to £19.90, while Chilean copper miner Antofagasta dropped 3.2 percent to £19.57 ahead of its full-year results on a downgrade to “hold” from “buy” from Canaccord Adams on the theory that copper prices are peaking and profits are likely to decline in the future.

The pharmaceuticals sector saw gains on the day. AstraZeneca gained 2.6 percent on the day to £27.14 in anticipation of clinical trial results on its Crestor anti-cholesterol drug, due on Monday. Some analysts have been worried that sales of the drug could be hurt when Merck’s Zocor anti-cholesterol drug exits patent protection later this year. Elsewhere in the sector, GlaxoSmithKline was up 1.9 percent to £15.36 and Shire rose 0.8 percent to 906½p.

Broadcaster ITV was up 2.9 percent to 114p on positive reaction to its full-year earnings report and on the announcement that it would give £300 million back to shareholders in a buyback of shares.

In London on Friday the FTSE 100 gained 0.2 percent to 5,397.8, while the FTSE 250 was up by 0.2 percent as well, to 7,853.7.

The markets were up on advances in the telecommunications sector and on the downgrade of Hurricane Rita to Category 4.

In the telecommunications sector, O2 gained 2.3 percent to 154¼p on a positive assessment by ratings agency Fitch, while Vodafone rose 1.4 percent to 147p.

The oil sector declined on the day as damage predictions ahead of Rita were decreased. BG Group fell 1.1 percent to 534½p, Royal Dutch Shell declined 1.2 percent to £19.09, BP lost 1.6 percent to 657½p, and Cairn Energy was down 2 percent to £19.77.

Elsewhere, ITV gained 1.4 percent to 112¼p as rumors continued that a group led by a former BBC director general was getting ready to bid on the broadcasting company.

Pub group Enterprise Inns added 1.8 percent to 838p on an announcement that it expects profits to meet expectations and that it will return surplus cash to shareholders through higher dividends and share buybacks.

In the pharmaceuticals sector, GlaxoSmithKline gained 2.7 percent to £14.16.