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.

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.

London’s markets were higher Friday.

The FTSE 100 added 0.37 percent to 6,220.1, while the FTSE 250 gained 0.22 percent to 10,969.5.

Software maker Sage Group (LSE: SGE) was the best performer on the 100 with a gain of 3.21 percent to 233.25p.

But financial services groups crowded the top of the loser board on the 100.

Man Group (LSE: EMG) was 2.55 percent lower to 477.5p. Barclay’s Bank (LSE: BARC; NYSE: BCS; TYO: 8642) dropped 2.63 percent to 611p, while Standard Chartered (LSE: STAN; SEHK: 2888) was the worst performer on the 100 as it fell 4.9 percent to £14.94.

3i Group (LSE: III) was 4.26 percent lower to £10.34. Rounding out the top five decliners on the 100 was British Energy Group (LSE: BGY) with a decline of 2.67 percent to 446.75p.

Miners and the oil sector saw gains.

Rio Tinto (LSE: RIO) was up 2.36 percent to £33.39, while BG Group (LSE: BG; NYSE: BG) added 2.74 percent to 769.5p.

Retailer Sainsbury gained 2.16 percent to 544.5p.

The best performer on the 250 was Assura Group (LSE: AGR), with a gain of 13.85 percent to 160.25p.

Property developer Daejan Holdings (LSE: DJAN) was 5.08 percent higher to £36.00.

Financial services groups didn’t fare much better on the 250 than they did on the 100.

Asset manager Henderson Group (LSE: HGI; ASX: HGI) was 2.52 percent lower to 135.25p, while investment managers Rathbone Brothers (LSE: RAT) dropped 2.55 percent to £12.23.

But the worst performer on the 250 was food processor Northern Foods (LSE: NFDS) with a drop of 2.86 percent to 102p.

Equities markets in London saw declines on Tuesday.

The FTSE 100 dropped 1.14 percent to 6,636.4, while the FTSE 250 was 1.08 percent lower to 11,732.1.

Miners were lower after rumors circulated that BHP Billiton (LSE: BLT; ASX: BHP; NYSE: BHP) might be interested in bidding for US aluminium producer Alcoa (NYSE: AA).

BHP Billiton was the worst performer on the 100 on the day, dropping 3.89 percent to £14.83.

Elsewhere in the sector, Xstrata (LSE: XTA) dropped 3.33 percent to £32.48, while Anglo American (LSE: AAL) fell 3.61 percent to £32.04 and Lonmin was 3.64 percent lower to £41.54.

The best performance on the day on the 100 came from property developer Land Securities (LSE: LAND), which added 4.8 percent to £18.35.

Public transport group Arriva (LSE: ARI) had the best day on the 250 as it gained 7.92 percent to 770p after it was revealed that it had been awarded the UK Cross Country rail franchise.

There were also gains in the retail sector.

J Sainsbury (LSE: SBRY) was 1.05 percent higher to 577.5p, while Marks & Spencer (LSE: MKS) was up 1.26 percent to 640.5p on a trading update that was not as bad as had been anticipated.

In the same sector on the 250, WH Smith (LSE: SMWH) added 2.04 percent to 411.75p.

Equities markets in London were higher on Wednesday, with both the FTSE 250 and the FTSE All-Share hitting all-time highs for the second day in a row. The 250 added 0.2 percent to 11,502, while the All-Share gained 0.2 percent as well, to 3,301.77. The FTSE 100 was also higher, up 0.4 percent to 6,369.5.

Miners saw advances on the day after BHP Billiton added 5.5 percent to £10.40 on the announcement of a new share buyback. The rest of the sector followed Billiton higher, with Anglo American gaining 2.7 percent to £24.71, Lonmin 2.8 percent higher to £31.89, and Vedanta resources adding 3.5 percent to £12.36.

J Sainsbury was 0.7 percent higher to 519½p after rumors circulated that an anonymous investor was interested in acquiring 50 million shares of the supermarket chain.

British Airways gained 4.6 percent to 574p on upgrades from Merrill Lynch, which raised its recommendation on the airline to “buy” and increased its target share price to 700p.

With 86million shares trading hands on the session, Scottish Power was 1.8 percent higher to 770p on consolidation rumors in Europe. The rumors were denied later.

In the pharmaceuticals sector, AstraZeneca dropped 1.1 percent to £29.50.

Records were set Tuesday in London as both the FTSE 250 and the FTSE All-Share hit new record highs and the FTSE 100 closed at its highest level in six years. The 100 added 0.4 percent to 6,346.3, while the 250 was 0.6 percent higher to 11,479.4 and the All-Share gained 0.5 percent to 3,290.67.

Defense contractor BAE Systems added 2.8 percent on the session to 439¼p after US President George W. Bush asked for record defense spending in his 2008 budget, delivered to Congress on Monday.

Imperial Tobacco added 1.3 percent to £22.14 even though it was the target of a Deutsche Bank downgrade after rumors surfaced that it might receive a bid from Altadis of Spain in cooperation with private equity.

Supermarkets were higher on raised target share prices from UBS and on a report that a group of investors from Qatar had taken a 1 percent stake in J Sainsbury. Sainsbury was 1.3 percent higher to 516 on the report. Tesco added 1 percent to 438½p as UBS hiked its target share price to 550p, while Wm Morrison added 2.6 percent, to a new record share price of 311p, after its target was raised to 360p.

In the telecommunications sector Cable & Wireless gained 3 percent to 179½p, its highest share price in four and a half years, on reports that it could be a target of Deutsche Telekom. Analysts were not convinced of the rumors in the German press, saying that DT is in no position to make offers currently.

Trade was brisk in London on Friday as 4.2 billion shares traded hands and the FTSE 100 was close to a six-year high. The 100 ended the day up 0.4 percent to 6,310.9, a gain of 1.3 percent on the week. The FTSE 250, meanwhile, added 1.1 percent on the day and 2 percent on the week to close at an all-time high of 11,343.3.

The supermarkets sector was driven by rumors that private equity is interested in J Sainsbury and especially interested in the properties it holds. Sainsbury added 13.9 percent on the day to 507p, its highest share price in eight years, while fellow grocers Tesco and Wm Morrison were up 3.7 percent to 435p and 5.9 percent to 300¾p respectively.

Elsewhere in the retail sector, Kingfisher was up 3.5 percent to 252½p, while Marks & Spencer was 4.1 percent higher to 717½p.

The interest in Sainsbury for its properties also helped other property backed stocks. Pubs operators Enterprise Inns and Mitchells & Butlers were among those seeing gains. Enterprise added 2.8 percent to 665½p, while Mitchells & Butlers gained 4.4 percent to 736p. Mitchells & Butlers was also boosted by its addition by Goldman Sachs to the broker’s “conviction buy” list.

In the tobacco sector, Imperial Tobacco closed at an all-time high £21.75, a gain of 4 percent that came on an analyst’s report that it could be a bids target for Philip Morris International after it separates from Altria in March.

London equities markets were higher on Thursday, with the FTSE 100 1.3 percent higher to 6,282.2 on a session where it saw all of its listed stocks finish in the black. The FTSE 250 was 1.1 percent higher to 11,221.5. Trade was brisk, with 4 billion shares trading hands.

Homebuilders were higher on mergers and acquisitions rumors. Wilson Bowden gained 0.6 percent to £23, while Redrow was 1.1 percent higher to 626½p and Barratt Developments added 2.3 percent to £12.09, amid talk that Barratt could be interested in Redrow if its bid for Wilson is not successful.

In the retail sector, supermarket J Sainsbury was up 2.6 percent to 445½p on the news that Lord Sainsbury of Turville reduced his stake to 13.9 percent by selling 40 million shares.

In the pharmaceuticals sector, AstraZeneca was up 2.2 percent to £29.03 after it outlined steps it would take in order to drive growth.

While no stocks on the 100 lost ground on the day, four did close even. Three of those, steelmaker Corus, at 601½p, tobacco company Gallaher, at £11.37, and Scottish Power, at 747p, are all in the middle of mergers and acquisitions activity. The fourth company to close steady was advertiser WPP, which also ended the session at 747p.

Trade in the London equities markets was slow again on Tuesday, as only 2.6 billion shares changed hands on the session. Still, both the FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 saw gains on the day. The 100 added just 0.03 percent to 6,242, while the 200 was 0.2 percent higher to 11,131.

The energy sector was mixed. Reports that it was having problems at two of its nuclear power stations sent British Energy 3.9 percent lower to 444p, amid further reports that it is being hurt by dropping wholesale prices for power. Bids rumors helped Scottish & Southern Energy to hold steady at £14.75, while Drax Group added 2.2 percent to 690½p as investors hoped for higher dividends.

J Sainsbury added 0.6 percent to 435p on rumors that a private equity house could be considering a bid. Numis Securities repeated its “buy” recommendation on the supermarket and said that the value of its properties could be an attraction.

In the food and beverages sector, Cadbury Schweppes added 1.4 percent to 576½p on multiple rumors that included the possibility of a bid from private equity and a spin off of its soft drinks unit.

Medical devices manufacturer Smith & Nephew was 1.8 percent higher to 577½p ahead of its full-year report, due next week. Analysts said that it was helped by good reports from US rivals Zimmer and Stryker.

Vodafone dropped 1.3 percent to 147p ahead of a trading update, due Wednesday.

The London equities markets were mixed on Monday as only 2.5 billion shares traded hands on the session. The FTSE 100 added 0.2 percent to 6,239.9, but the FTSE 250 dropped 0.1 percent to 11,104.

In the airlines sector, British Airways added 2.7 percent to 542p as investors were relieved that a threatened 2-day strike by cabin crew members had been avoided.

Tobacco did well ahead of results due later in the week from British American Tobacco. Citigroup said that BAT could return an estimated £1.5 billion to shareholders without harm to its credit rating. The figure was much higher than the £500 million it currently returns each year. BAT gained 2.8 percent to a record high share price of £15.60. Imperial Tobacco was 0.8 percent higher, to £21.24.

Publisher Yell Group gained 1.5 percent to 608p on positive comments from Merrill Lynch.

Pubs operator Mitchells & Butlers was 1 percent higher to 686½p on reaction to the news that financier Robert Tchenguiz has increased his holding in the company to almost 15 percent.

Brewer SABMiller dropped 1.1 percent to £11.70 as Goldman Sachs took it off it’s “buy” list on valuation concerns.

J. Sainsbury also fell 1.1 percent, to 432½p, as one shareholider placed 12 million shares with Morgan Stanley. The shares were priced at 432p each.