London’s markets were lower again on Friday.

The FTSE 100 dropped 1.23 percent to 6,527.9 while FTSE 250 fell 0.98 percent to 11,299.3.

Insurer Resolution (LSE: RSL) had the best day on the 100 as it gained 2.12 percnet to 722p.

Housebuilders and the construction sector more generally were higher on both the 100 and the 250.

Persimmon (LSE: PSN) was up 1.15 percent to 971p and Barratt Developments (LSE: BDEV) was 1.29 percent higher to 667p on the 100, while over on the 250 house builder Redrow (LSE: RDW) gained 3.03 percent to 383p and construction group Alfred McAlpine (LSE: MCA) added 3.54 percent to 555p.

Other gainers included paper group DS Smith (LSE: SMPS), which was up 5.31 percent to 228p on the 250.

Brewer Scottish & Newcastle (LSE: SCTN) was 1.19 percent higher to 766.5p on the 100.

Banks were lower, with Northern Rock (LSE: NRK) again leading the losers on the 100 with a decline of 8.61 percent to 186.9p.

Elsewhere in the sector, HBOS (LSE: HBOS) dropped 2.91 percent to 835p.

In the pharmaceuticals sector Astra Zeneca (LSE: AZN; NYSE: AZN) was down 3.64 percent to £24.61 after the revocation of an inhaler patent by European authorities and a downgrade from “neutral” to “sell” by UBS.

Advertising group WPP (LSE: WPP; NAS: WPPGY) fell 4.18 percent to 665p after it reported quarterly revenues that were at the low end of expectations.

In London on Thursday, the FTSE 100 was 1.38 percent higher to 6,724.5 while the FTSE 250 gained 0.96 percent to 11,622.9.

Commodities-related shares were higher on the session.

Vedanta Resources (LSE: VED) had the best day on the 100 as it added 5.8 percent to £23.17, while oil refiner and distributor Hunting (LSE: HTG) was the best performer on the 250 with a gain of 10.28 percent to 783p.

Elsewhere among miners, gold miner Randgold (LSE: RSS; NAS: GOLD) was 7.43 percent higher to £17.35 and Aquarius Platinum (LSE: AQP; ASX: AQP; JSE: AQP) jumped 9.42 percent to £18.47.

Back in the oil sector, Tullow Oil (LSE: TLW; OTC: TUWLY) was up 4.68 percent to 626.5p, while BG Group (LSE: BG; NYSE: BG) added 4.74 percent to 883p.

Among banks, Northern Rock (LSE: NRK) slipped again, dropping 5.67 percent to 258p for the worst performance of the session on the 100.

Meanwhile, the house building sector and property developers had a bad day after the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors reported that house prices were lower in the UK again in September.

Bovis Homes (LSE: BVS) was down 2.56 percent to 684p and Bellway (LSE: BWY) dropped 2.89 percent to £10.76.

Barratt Developments (LSE: BDEV) was 3.54 percent lower to 722p, Persimmon (LSE: PSN) fell 4.02 percent to £10.03 and Redrow (LSE: RDW) was down 4.31 percent to 388.5p.

Taylor Wimpey (LSE: TW) fell 4.28 percent to 290.75p.

London’s equities markets were mixed on Monday.

The FTSE 100 was 0.14 percent higher to 6,465.9, but the FTSE 250 fell 0.49 percent to 11,040.8.

Northern Rock (LSE: NRK) had another bad day, leading the losers on the 100 with a decline of 11.48 percent to 172p.

House builders and related businesses were lower on both indices. Developer and house builder Barratt Developments (LSE: BDEV) dropped 4.64 percent to 749.5p, while real estate investor and manager Brixton (LSE: BXTN) was down 4.98 percent to 358p.

House builder Taylor Wimpey (LSE: TW) was 5.82 percent lower to 271p, while Redrow (LSE: RDW) fell 5.96 percent to 394.5p.

Meanwhile, building materials group Wolseley (LSE: WOS) dropped 4.83 percent to 807.5p on quarterly profits that were lower due to the slump in the US housing market.

Miners were higher on the session.

Antofagasta (LSE: ANTO) led the 100 with a gain of 6.64 percent to 843p, while Aquarius Platinum (LSE: AQP; ASX: AQP; JSE: AQP) turned in the best performance on the 250 as it added 6.56 percent to £18.53.

Elsewhere in the sector BHP Billiton (LSE: BLT; NYSE: BHP; ASX: BHP) was up 5.68 percent to £17.50, while Vedanta Resources (LSE: VED) was 4.68 percent higher to £22.35 and Xstrata (LSE: XTA) jumped 4.61 percent to £32.89.

Investors Merrill Lynch World Mining Trust (LSE: MWM) gained 3.99 percent to 652p.

In the insurance sector, special risks insurer Beazley Group (LSE: BEZ) was up 3.91 percent to 179.5p.

Online gambler PartyGaming (LSE: PRTY) added 4.81 percent to 27.25p.

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.

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.

The FTSE 100 in London had a roller-coaster day in which it was up early, dropped after the Bank of England’s decision to raise interest rates by 25 basis points, then rallied late in the day to end up 1.1 percent higher, to 6,230.1. The FTSE 250 also ended the day higher, adding 0.3 percent to 11,123.4

Publishers and other media stocks were up on the day. Reed Elsevier and Yell Group each added 3.5 percent on the session, to 602½p and 598p respectively. Yell was helped by positive comments from Goldman Sachs, while Reed Elsevier gained on talk that private equity might be preparing a bid. Reuters gained 3.6 percent to 451¾p. Meanwhile Pearson, which owns the Financial Times, was 3.7 percent higher to 805p. Elsewhere in media, ITV was up 2.1 percent to 109¼p on a upgrade to “buy” from Deutsche Bank.

Banks saw gains as well, with Lloyds TSB adding 0.9 percent to 583p on rumors that either Banco Santander or BBVA could be interested.

In the mining sector, Kazakhmys gained 3.9 percent to £10.53, while BHP Billiton was 4.9 percent higher to 930p as metals prices began to recover.

Pubs operators declined on negative comment from Deutsche Bank. Enterprise Inns dropped 1.7 percent to £12.77 and Punch Taverns fell 3.7 percent to £11.69.

The homebuilding sector saw losses after interest rates were hiked. Persimmon was 1 percent lower to £14.57, while Redrow fell 3.2 percent to 668½p.

The London equities markets were mixed on Monday, with the FTSE 100 adding 0.5 percent to 6,030.9 but the FTSE 250 dropping 0.2 percent to 10, 152.3.

The pharmaceuticals sector was higher on the session. Glaxo-Smith-Kline gained 0.6 percent to £14.54 on talk that it is engaged in discussions with Novartis concerning a merger. Shire added 14.9 percent for the best performance among blue-chips, to £10.08 when the Food and Drug Administration in the United States approved its NRP104 treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder for use there.

Media companies didn’t have nearly so good a day. Reed Elsevier dropped 1 percent to 588½p on rumors that a profits warning is forthcoming. EMI fell 1.9 percent to 264¾p in anticipation of a less than encouraging trading update due next week. ITV, meanwhile, was 2.2 percent lower to 100¼p when UBS lowered its advertising growth prediction for the broadcaster, removed it from its “buy” list, and cut its earnings per share forecast for both this year and next.

Homebuilders were mixed, with Redrow up 1.4 percent to 630p but Barratt Developments 1.6 percent lower to £10.98 as rumors that Barratt is interested in a takeover of Redrow continued to ciruclate.

In the steel sector, Corus added 2.7 percent to 494p on reports that Tata Steel of India could be close to an offer worth £5 billion.

Marks and Spencer was 1.3 percent higher to 662½p, near a record high, on positive comments and an increased target share price from Morgan Stanley.