In London on Monday the FTSE 100 added 0.24 percent to 6,078.7 while the FTSE 250 was 0.16 percent higher to 10,703.8.

Power generators had a good day in London.

Drax Group (LSE: DRX) gained 1.9 percent to 634.5p, while electricity generator British Energy (LSE: BGY) was up 4.58 percent to 451.25p for the best performance on the 100.

Electricity transmitter Scottish & Southern Energy (LSE: SSE) was 1.7 percent higher to £14.44.

Miners also did well after metals prices advanced.

Rio Tinto (LSE: RIO) gained 3.22 percent to £30.78, while Kazakhmys (LSE: KAZ) added 4 percent to £11.70 and BHP Billiton (LSE: BLT; NYSE: BHP; ASX: BHP) was 4.17 percent higher to £12.75.

The aerospace sector was up with BAE Systems (LSE: BA; OTCBB; BAESY) 3.48 percent higher to 431p and Meggitt (LSE: MGGT) adding 4.73 percent to 298.75p.

The best performer on the 250 was care homes operator Southern Cross Healthcare (LSE: SCHE), which gained 6.93 percent to 470.5p.

Insurers were mixed.

Prudential (LSE: PRU; NYSE: PUK) was up 1.1 percent to 657.5p, but Old Mutual (LSE: OML; JSE: OLOML) dropped 2.16 percent to 149.4p.

Property developers and investors were lower on the session.

British Land (LSE: BLND) had the worst day on the 100 as it fell 3.46 percent to £11.98. SEGRO (LSE: SGRO) fell 2.66 percent to 513p, while Daejan Holdings dropped 4.86 percent on the 250 to £33.30.

Publisher Reed Elsevier (LSE: REL; Euronext: REN; NYSE: ENL; NYSE: RUK) dropped 2.61 to 578p.

London’s equities markets saw significant losses on Thursday.

The FTSE 100 fell 4.1 percent to 5,858.9, the first time it had closed below the 6,000 level since March, while the FTSE 250 closed at 10,462.6 for a drop of 3.92 percent.

There were no winners on the 100 on the session, and miners were the five worst performers there after metals prices declined.

Kazakhmys (LSE: KAZ) dropped 8.38 percent to £10.71, while Vedanta Resources (LSE: VED) fell 8.44 percent to £14.98.

Anglo American (LSE: AAL) was 9.36 percent lower to £24.70, Lonmin (LSE: LMI) was down 9.41 percent to £27.92 and Antofagasta fell 10.98 percent to 608p for the worst performance of the day on the 100.

The oil sector declined as well, as the price of crude oil dropped.

BP (LSE: BP; NYSE: BP; TYO: 5051) was down 4.06 percent to 520p, while Royal Dutch Shell’s (LSE: RDSA, RDSB; NYSE: RDS.A, RDS.B) A shares dropped 4.43 percent to £17.69.

On the 250, Premier Oil (LSE: PMO) was down 9.19 percent to 914.5p for the worst performance of the day on that index. The financial services sector was much lower.

Northern Rock (LSE: NRK) was 4.2 percent lower to 659p after Merrill Lynch (NYSE: MER; TYO: 8675) dropped its target share price from £11.30 to 913p and JP Morgan (NYSE: JPM; TYO: 8634) reduced it from 830p to 690p.

Standard Chartered (LSE: STAN; SEHK: 2888), with substantial exposure in Asia, fell 7.55 percent to £14.44.

Investment manager Invesco (LSE: AVZ; NYSE: IVZ) was 6.53 percent lower to 551.5p, while hedge fund Man Group (LSE: EMG) dropped 8.31 percent to 446.75p.

Electricity generators also had substantial losses.

Drax Group (LSE: DRX) fell 4.04 percent to 605p, while International Power was 6.23 percent lower to 383p and British Energy dropped 7.98 percent to 417.75p after it said that core profit was down 12 percent in its fiscal first quarter after trouble shut down two facilities.

There were some gainers on the 250, where property group Daejan Holdings (LSE: DJAN) gained 6.57 percent to £35.22.

Publisher Euromoney Institutional Investor (LSE: ERM), which is 70 percent owned by Daily Mail and General Trust (LSE: DMGT), added 1.93 percent to 580p, while retail baker Greggs (LSE: GRG) gained 0.41 percent to €48.50.

London’s markets rallied Monday as the FTSE 100 added 2.99 percent to 6,219 and the FTSE 250 gained 2.71 percent to 11,184.8.

The top three gainers on the 100 were all miners, adding value after copper prices were higher.

Anglo American (LSE: AAL) was up 8.31 percent to £28.16, while Kazakhmys (LSE: KAZ) gained 10.44 percent to £11.95 and Antofagasta (LSE: ANTO) added 10.48 percent to 685p for the best day on the 100.

Gains on the 250 were even bigger.

In the electronics sector Aveva Group (LSE: AVV) and Micro Focus International (LSE: MCRO) were 12.69 percent higher to 901p and up 16.8 percent to 288.5p respectively, with Micro Focus having the best day on the 250.

Construction engineering group Keller (LSE: KLR) was up 16.77 percent to 940p, while investment managers Rathbone Brothers (LSE: RAT) added 12.79 percent to £13.05 and conference and convention organizer ITE Group (LSE: ITE) was 12.77 percent higher to 170p.

The biggest loser on the 250 on the session was car rental group Avis Europe (LSE: AVE), which dropped 11.76 percent to 45p.

Kingfisher, meanwhile, had the worst day on the 100 as it fell 1.63 percent to 211.5p.

Chemicals groups had a mixed day on the 100, with Reckitt Benckiser (LSE: RB) down 0.51 percent to £27.41 while Johnson Matthey (LSE: JMAT) dropped 0.82 percent to £16.90.

On the other hand, Imperial Chemical Industries (LSE: ICI; NYSE: ICI) added 2.8 percent to 642p after it said it has accepted a bid from Dutch chemicals company Azko Nobel (Euronext: AKZ; NAS: AKZOY).

In addition, German consumer goods manufacturer Henkel (FWB: HEN3) said it will purchase the adhesives and electronic materials divisions of ICI’s US unit if the Akzo deal is completed.

The markets in London also saw declines as the FTSE 100 fell 1.92 percent to 6,271.2 and the FTSE 250 was 2 percent lower to 11,225.5.

Shares in the financial services sector did not do very well for the most part on the 100.

Venture capital and private equity group 3i Group (LSE: III) was 5.8 percent lower to £10.56, while insurer Standard Life (LSE: SLET) fell 6.52 percent to 318.75p and hedge fund Man Group (LSE: EMG) was down 6.73 percent to 527p.

Not all in the financial services sector saw declines however.

Alliance & Leicester (LSE: AL) added 1.17 percent to £11.20 and insurer Benfield Group (LSE: BFD) gained 4.95 percent to 339p.

Insurance broker and risk management advisor Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group (LSE: JLT) had the best day on the 100 as it added 4.95 percent to 425p.

The best performer on the 250 was BSkyB (LSE: BSY), which gained 2.58 percent to 694.4p.

Other gainers included power transmitter National Grid (LSE: NG), which was 2.09 percent higher to 731.5p.

Chemicals group Reckitt Benckiser (LSE: RB) was up 1.5 percent to £27.74.

Defense contractor BAE Systems (LSE: BA; OTCBB: BAESY) added 0.9 percent to 440.25p after it said that first half profits were up a better-than-anticipated 27 percent on upgrades to its Bradley fighting vehicles for use by the US in Iraq and on the production of jet parts.

The biggest loser on the day on the 100 was miner Kazakhmys (LSE: KAZ), which was down 6.79 percent to £11.25.

In the pharmaceuticals sector, AstraZeneca (LSE: AZN; NYSE: AZN) dropped 3.5 percent to £24.30 on a safety review of its acid reflux drugs Nexium and Prilosec after two studies linked them to heart problems.

However, the Food and Drug Administration said that it had concluded on a preliminary basis that there is no increased risk to patients taking the drugs.

In London on Monday, the FTSE 100 was 0.57 percent lower to 6,189.1 and the FTSE 250 fell 1.67 percent to 10,998.8.

Standard Life (LSE: SLET) was the biggest gainer on the 100, adding 3.03 percent to 315p on consolidation hopes within the sector.

Builder Alfred McAlpine (LSE: MCA) did the best on the 250 with a gain of 4.7 percent to 484.5p.

Other gainers on the session included the house building sector, where Persimmon (LSE: PSN) was up 1.93 percent to £11.64 and Taylor Wimpey (LSE: TW) added 2.18 percent to 339.75p.

British American Tobacco (LSE: BATS; AMEX: BTI; KLSE: BAT) was 2.4 percent higher to £16.12, while music retailer HMV Group (LSE: HMV) gained 4.7 percent to 118.25p.

The biggest loser on the day on the 100 was platinum miner Lonmin (LSE: LMI), which fell 4.81 percent to £30.85.

Aquarius Platinum (LSE: LSE: AQP; ASX:AQP; JSE:AQP) did even worse on the 250, dropping 5.56 percent to £12.90.

Elsewhere in the mining sector BHP Billiton (LSE: BLT; NYSE: BHP; ASX: BHP) dropped 2.98 percent to £13.33, while Kazakhmys (LSE: KAZ) fell 2.93 percent to £11.94, Anglo American (LSE: AAL) was 2.68 percent lower to £26.85 and Rio Tinto (LSE: RIO) was down 1.33 percent to £32.19.

Investment trust Ashmore (LSE: ASHM) did the worst on the 250, falling 8 percent to 204p.

Other decliners on the session included supermarket chain Wm Morrison (LSE: MRW), which dropped 3.6 percent to 274.25p.

Pubs operator Punch Taverns (LSE: PUB) fell 3.36 percent to £10.36 and investment management group INVESCO (LSE: AVZ; NYSE: IVZ) was 3.15 percent lower to 585p on its exposure to the US housing sector.

In London on Monday the FTSE 100 added 0.34 percent to 6,712.7, while the FTSE 250 dropped 0.16 percent to 11,847.8.

Most of the gains on the session were produced by the mining sector, which saw advances as copper prices remained strong and after JPMorgan (NYSE: JPM; TYO: 8634) raised target share prices for several of the miners.

BHP Billiton (LSE: BLT; ASX: BHP; NYSE: BHP) gained 1.78 percent to £15.43, while Antofagasta (LSE: ANTO) was 2.71 percent higher to 681.5p.

Xstrata (LSE: XTA) added 2.88 percent to £33.60 and Kazakhmys (LSE: KAZ) was up 4.21 percent to £13.60.

Other gainers included food processor Tate & Lyle (LSE: TATE) which added 4.69 percent to 580p for the best performance on the 100.

Housebuilders put in the worst performances of the session on both the 100 and the 250.

Persimmon (LSE: PSN) dropped 4.12 on the 250 to £11.64, while on the 100 Bovis Homes fell 10.86 percent to 820.5p.

Other decliners in the sector included Redrow (LSE: RDW), which was 5.36 percent lower on the 250 to 512p and Barratt Developments (LSE: BDEV), which was down 2.32 percent to 991.5p on the 100.

The declines in the sector were blamed on caution in the face of higher interest rates.

In London on Thursday, the FTSE 100 added 1.16 percent to 6,227.7, largely on the strength of gains in the mining sector. The FTSE 250 was also higher, gaining 1.6 percent to 11,363.8.

Among miners, Xstrata (LSE: XTA) added 0.4 percent to £24.69 after rumors surfaced that it was thinking about bidding on Canadian nickel miner Lionore Mining (LSE, Toronto Stock Exchange: LIM), which gained 2.7 percent to 750p. Lionore is up nearly 133 percent since October of last year.

Elsewhere in the sector, Vedanta Resources (LSE: VED) and Kazakhmys (LSE: KAZ) were each 2.9 percent higher, to £12.49 and £11.24 respectively. Kazakhmys just purchased Dostan-Temir as its first move into the oil sector. Antofagasta (LSE: ANTO) gained 3.1 percent to 476p on rumors that a special dividend of 40 cents US per share might be announced next Tuesday when it reveals its full-year results.

In the banking sector, Standard Chartered (LSE: STAN; SEHK: 2888) added 2.2 percent to £14.30 on broker comments that low share prices meant a good opportunity to buy as well as the news that Singapore’s state investment company, Temasek, had increased its holding in the bank to 12 percent.

Music retailer HMV (LSE: HMV) was up 3.9 percent to 146p ahead of a strategy presentation scheduled for next Tuesday. Pali International initiated coverage with a “buy” recommendation.

First Choice Holidays (LSE: FCD) added 1.2 percent to 268¾p on rumors that private equity might be interested in making a bid.

Equities markets were lower in London on Monday, but the declines were not nearly as big as those seen in Asia on the session. The FTSE 100 was 0.9 percent lower to 6,058.7, while the FTSE 250 fell 1.7 percent to 10,857.9. The 100 was below the 6,000 level for the first time since October during part of the session but was able to regain some of those losses as the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up slightly as the London session closed.

Miners and the oil sector suffered losses as commodities prices fell. Xstrata (LSE: XTA) fell 1.4 percent to £23.32, while Kazakhmys (LSE: KAZ) dropped 2.3 percent to £10.61 and Vedanta Resources was 3.1 percent lower to £11.80.

Among oil companies, Royal Dutch Shell (LSE: RDSA, RDSB; NYSE: RDS A, RDS B) was down 0.8 percent to £16.21. BP (LSE: BP; NYSE: BP; TYO: 5051) fell 1.1 percent to 511½p. Meanwhile, Cairn Energy (LSE: CNE) dropped 2.7 percent to £15.49, making it more likely that it will be delisted from the FTSE after tomorrow’s review.

British Airways (LSE: BAY; NYSE: BAB), which usually benefits from lower oil prices, still dropped 6.6 on the day to 497p on several issues, including a possible loss of earnings if an “open skies” agreement allows more carriers to fly trans-Atlantic routes out of Heathrow.

In the banking sector, HSBC (LSE: HSBA; NYSE: HBC; Euronext: HSBC; SEKH: 005) bucked the general losing trend to add 1.1 percent to 896p after it said that its pre-tax profits were up 4 percent in its full-year report.

Equities markets were higher in London on Thursday as the FTSE 100 added 0.4 percent to 6,380.9 and the FTSE 250 also gained 0.4 percent to 11,584.4.

Miners advanced on the session on higher prices for copper, which were up by around 6 percent on the session. Antofagasta (LSE:ANTO) gained 3.4 percent to 489p, while Kazakhmys (LSE: KAZ) added 3.6 percent to £11.65 and Xstrata (LSE: XTA) was 3.7 percent higher to £25.72.

The tobacco sector was mixed. Imperial Tobacco (LSE: IMT) was down 0.3 percent to £21.93 when Altadis (IBEX-35: ALT) of Spain denied rumors that it could make a joint bid for the company along with Philip Morris (NYSE: MO). On the other hand, British American Tobacco (LSE: BATS; AMEX: BTI; KLSE: BAT) added 0.5 percent to £15.74 as investors hoped that it would introduce increased share buybacks and cost-cutting measures when it issues its full-year report next week.

Emap (LSE: EMA) gained 0.8 percent to 737p as rumors circulated that it might offer one of its divisions for sale. Several buyers were suggested as possibly being interested in different units. In addition, Panmure Gordon upgraded the media group to “buy”.

Both the FTSE 100 and the FTSE 250 were higher on Wednesday. The 100 added 1.4 percent to 6,314.8, its highest close since January 3, while the 250 was 0.8 percent higher to 11,192.8.

The oil sector gained on the announcement that the United States plans to double the size of its strategic oil reserves by buying an extra 100,000 barrels of crude oil per day, as well as on a report that Dominion Resources, a US company, had received a bid. BP added 0.6 percent to 548½p, while Royal Dutch Shell gained 1.2 percent to £17.39.

Banks were up as well. Alliance & Leicester was 2.6 percent higher to £11.11, while Royal Bank of Scotland gained 2.9 percent to £21.03 and Northern Rock added 4.1 percent to £12.12 on higher profits than expected and record mortgage lending.

In the mining sector, Kazakhmys added 4.8 percent to £11.19 on a positive broker recommendation. Vedanta Resources was 5.8 percent higher to £11.90 on takeover rumors.

Properties groups benefited after the most recent Bank of England meeting minutes were revealed, showing that the vote was very close on the interest rate hike earlier this month. The closeness of the vote brought hope that interest rates would not be going up again soon, a positive sign for the properties market. British Land added 2.9 percent to £16.12, while Liberty International gained 4.4 percent to £13.18.