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 Thursday, the FTSE 100 added 0.8 percent to 6,300.3 and the FTSE 250 was 0.39 percent higher to 11,233.

British Airways (LSE: BAY; NYSE: BAB) led the 100, adding 4.53 percent to 403.75p after ABN Amro (Eurnoext: AAB; NYSE: ABN) raised its recommendation on the airline from “sell” to “hold”.

Consumer goods maker Unilever (LSE: ULVR; Euronext: ENA; NYSE: UN) was 4.26 percent higher to £15.68 on strong second quarter results and an improved sales forecast for the full year.

In the retail sector, Marks & Spencer (LSE: MKS) gained 3.42 percent to 635.5p.

The worst performer on the 100 was pubs operator Mitchells & Butlers (LSE: MAB), which fell 4.68 percent to 713p after it delayed a property deal due to problems in the debt market.

The decline took rival pubs company Whitbread (LSE: WTB) down 3.93 percent to £15.88.

Miners also declined on the day.

Rio Tinto was 3.19 percent lower to £33.35, while Vedanta Resources (LSE: VED) fell 2.56 percent to £16.73 and Lonmin (LSE: LMI) dropped 1.84 percent to £33.14.

On the 250, construction group Alfred McAlpine (LSE: MCA) was the best performer as it gained 5.91 percent to 475p after it announced that the company will be split into two separately listed companies, one dedicated to business services and the other offering infrastructures services and project services.

Electronics group Invensys (LSE: ISYS; OTC: IVNY) was 10.07 percent lower to 341.75p, for the worst performance of the session on the 250.

London’s equities markets were lower Wednesday.

The FTSE 100 dropped 1.72 percent to 6,250.6, while the FTSE 250 fell 1.26 percent to 11,194.9.

Cadbury Schweppes (LSE: CBRY; NYSE: CSG), with a decline of 8.23 percent to 569p, was the worst performer on the 100 after it
said that profitability was down in the first half due to higher dairy prices.

British Airways (LSE: BAY; NYSE: BAB) was down 2.89 percent to 386.25p after it was fined nearly £270 million for price fixing activities in relation to fuel surcharges.

Miners were substantially lower. Lonmin (LSE: LMI) fell 3.65 percent to £33.76, while Xstrata (LSE: XTA) was 3.88 percent lower to £30.74, BHP Billiton (LSE: BLT; NYSE: BHP; ASX: BHP) dropped 4.41 percent to £14.08 and Rio Tinto (LSE: RIO) was down 4.46 percent to £34.45.

There were gains on the day.

In the pharmaceuticals sector, Shire (LSE: SHP; NAS: SHPGY) added 1.56 percent to £12.37, while chemicals group Imperial Chemical Industries (LSE: ICI) gained 0.56 percent to 627.5p on reports that Dow Chemical (NYSE: DOW; TYO: 4850) is interested in making a bid to rival that of Akzo Nobel (Euronext: AKZ; NAS: AKZOY).

Over on the 250, construction group John Wood Group (LSE: WG.) was the best performer, adding 4.61 percent to 340.5p.

Meanwhile, business services provider Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group (LSE: JLT) was the biggest loser of the session as it dropped 11.48 percent to 374p.

Equities markets in London were mixed on Monday.

The FTSE 100 was 0.15 percent lower to 6,206.1, while the FTSE 250 gained 0.79 percent to 11,071.7.

Miners saw significant gains on the day.

BHP Billiton (LSE: BLT; ASX: BHP; NYSE: BHP) gained 3.09 percent to £14.03, while Rio Tinto (LSE: RIO) added 3.68 percent to £34.51, Antofagasta (LSE: ANTO) was 4.15 percent higher to 702p, and Vedanta Resources (LSE: VED) was up 5.5 percent to £17.07.

The best performer on the 100 came in the chemicals sector, where Imperial Chemical Industries (LSE: ICI; NYSE: ICI) added 7.19 percent to 618.5p.

The biggest loser on the 100 was in the financial services sector, where Man Group (LSE: EMG) fell 2.75 percent to 547.5p.

Other decliners included Imperial Tobacco Group (LSE: IMT), which dropped 2.02 percent to £21.37.

Prudential (LSE: PRU; NYSE: PUK) dropped 2.11 percent to 650p, while electric power transmitter National Grid (LSE: NG) was 2.14 percent lower to 686p.

Manufacturer FKI (LSE: FKI) had the best day on the 250, adding 9.16 percent to 110.25p, while JKX Oil & Gas (LSE: JKX) gained 8.61 percent to 346p.

The worst performer on the 250 was property investment group Capital & Regional (LSE: CPP), which fell 4.12 percent to 907p.

Equities markets were lower in London on Wednesday.

The FTSE 100 dropped 0.68 percent to 6,454.3, while the FTSE 250 was down 1.46 percent to 11,415.2.

Pharmaceutical group GlaxoSmithKline (LSE: GSK; NYSE: GSK) topped the 100, adding 2.33 percent to £12.75 on an unexpected increase in second quarter profits based on greater demand for its Advair asthma treatment.

GSK also announced an expansion of its share buy-back program.

Meanwhile on the 250, electronics and engineering group Renishaw (LSE: RSW), which makes gauges and meters, was the top performer with a gain of 14.33 percent to 684p/

Other gainers on the day included the banking sector.

On the 100, Northern Rock (LSE: NRK) added 1.87 percent to 817p, while on the 250 Bradford & Bingley (LSE: BB) gained 0.97 percent to 416.75p and Close Brothers Group (LSE: CBG) was up 1.93 percent to 845p.

Defense aerospace group BAE Systems (LSE: BA; OTCBB: BAESY) was 1.63 percent higher to 435.25p.

On the losing side, British Energy had the worst day on the 100, dropping 5.21 percent to 483.5p on a broker downgrade.

The worst performer on the 250 came from the semiconductors sector, where CSR (LSE: CSR) fell 11.28 percent to 770.5p.

The mining sector declined on copper prices that were lower.

Antofagasta (LSE: ANTO) was 2.47 percent lower to 723p, while Rio Tinto (LSE: RIO) was down 3.65 percent to £35.90.

On the 250, property developer Daejan Holdings (LSE: DJAN) fell 5.75 percent to £38.86, while builder Severfield-Rowen (LSE: SFR) dropped 5.69 percent to £22.36.

In London on Friday the FTSE 100 was 0.28 percent higher to 6,716.7 and the FTSE 250 gained 0.96 percent to 11,922.9.

Miners declined after Thursday’s gains, with Rio Tinto (LSE: RIO) seeing the biggest loss of the day on the 100, dropping 2.1 percent to £37.30.

Elsewhere in the sector, BHP Billiton (LSE: BLT; ASX: BHP; NYSE: BHP) was 1.74 percent lower to £15.27 and Lonmin (LSE: LMI) fell 0.66 percent to £42.78.

Financial services-related shares did better.

Standard Chartered (LSE: STAN; SEHK: 2888) had the best day on the 100 as it added 2.92 percent to £16.90, while asset manager Henderson Group (LSE: HGI; ASX: HGI) gained 7.95 percent to 176.5p on the 250 for the best performance of the day there.

Hedge fund manager Man Group (LSE: EMG) was 2.76 percent higher to 633.5p.

Another asset manager, Bluebay (LSE: BBAX), however, had the poorest performance of the day on the 250 as it dropped 3.35 percent to 455p.

Other gainers on the day included business services group Experian (LSE: EXPN), which was 2.27 percent higher to 630p.

Chemicals group Johnson Matthey (LSE: JMAT) added 2.7 percent to £18.28, while in the oil sector BG Group gained 2.2 percent to 877.5p.

Decliners on the 100 included engineers Smiths Group (LSE: SMIN), which dropped 1.23 percent to £11.28 and Home Retail (LSE: HOME), down 1.37 percent to 450.25p.

London equities markets were up on Thursday, with the FTSE 100 added 1.25 percent to 6,697.7 and the FTSE 250 gained 1.22 percent to 11,809.

Most miners were higher on the session, but the sector managed to provide both the biggest winner and the worst performer on the 100.

Vedanta Resources (LSE: VED) added 6.45 percent to £18.00, while Rio Tinto (LSE: RIO) was 4.58 percent lower to £38.10.

Rio Tinto’s decline came after it put in a bid for Canadian aluminium producer Alcan (TSX: AL; NYSE: AL) and after Standard & Poor‘s announced that it would take a look at Rio Tinto‘s credit rating if the deal was completed.

Elsewhere in the sector, Xstrata (LSE: XTA) was 4.67 percent higher to £34.27 and Antofagasta (LSE: ANTO) added 6.39 percent to 715.5p.

The best performance on the 250 came from oil refiner Hunting (LSE: HTG), which gained 8.01 percent to 842.5p.

Other gainers on the 100 included British Airways (LSE: BAY; NYSE: BAB), which was 5.26 percent higher to 440.5p.

Hedge fund Man Group (LSE: EMG) added 4.05 percent to 616.5. Public transport company Arriva (LSE: ARI) was the worst performer on the 250 as it dropped 4.09 percent to 751p.

Other decliners on the 100 included Whitbread (LSE: WTB); the leisure services group fell 2.47 percent to £18.98.

Property developer Hammerson (LSE: HMSO) was 0.88 percent lower to £13.55.

In London on Thursday the FTSE 100 was 0.57 percent lower to 6,635.2, while the FTSE 250 fell 0.27 percent to 11,802.8.

The declines came after the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee voted to raise interest rates to 5.75 percent.

Miners were helped by continuing merger rumors and by metals prices which remained strong.

Rio Tinto (LSE: RIO) was 1.45 percent higher to £40.01, while BHP Billiton (LSE: BLT; ASX: BHP; NYSE: BHP) gained 1.74 percent to £14.62.

Xstrata (LSE: XTA) had the best day on the 100, adding 1.96 percent to £31.70.

Computer software and video games retailer GAME Group (LSE: EBQ) was the best performer on the 250, gaining 7.14 percent to 195p, while employment recruiter Michael Page International (LSE: MPI) was 6.34 percent higher to 595p.

The telecommunications sector took losses on the 100 after it was reported that Vodafone (LSE: VOD; NYSE: VOD; FWB: VOD) had not won an exclusive contract to partner with Apple (NAS: AAPL; LSE: ACP; FWB: APC) on its iPhone in the UK.

Vodafone dropped 2.41 percent to 162.1p, while BT Group (LSE: BT.A; NSYE: BT) was 2.38 percent lower to 328.75p.

Construction materials group Wolseley (LSE: WOS)had the worst day on the 100 as it dropped 2.63 percent to £11.83.

Both the FTSE 100 and the FTSE 250 saw gains on Tuesday. The 100 added 0.4 percent to 6,381.8, while the 200 was 0.2 percent higher to 11,475.7.

The 100 was helped by gains in the mining sector after metals prices were up and on rumors that both Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton are thinking about bidding for aluminium manufacturer Alcoa. Rio Tinto added 2.5 percent to £27.53, while Billiton was 2.6 percent higher, to £10.67.

In the pharmaceuticals sector, GlaxoSmithKline gained 2.1 percent to £14.91 on a repeated “buy” rating from Collins Stewart. GSK has 10 new products ready to hit the market this year, with 31 at Phase III trials or better.

The real estate sector was lower on profit-taking and on less than admirable results from British Land in their fiscal third quarter. British Land dropped 3.6 percent to £16.19, while Liberty International fell 2.7 percent to £12.90 and Slough Estates was 1.5 percent lower to 771p. Liberty is scheduled to release its results on Wednesday.

British Energy was 3.3 percent lower to 410p after it said that one of its nuclear power plants will be closed until April.

The London equities markets were mixed on the last full trading day before Christmas, with the FTSE 100 0.2 percent lower to 6,183.7 but the FTSE 250 adding 0.2 percent to 11,066.4. Volume was light, with around 2 billion shares trading hands.

Miners were hurt by dropping copper prices. Vedanta Resources dropped 16p to £11.77. Antofagasta fell 2.2 percent to 496½p, while Rio Tinto was 2.5 percent lower to £26.65 and Kazakhmys dropped 3.7 percent to £10.89.

British Energy fell 3.3 percent to 520½p after it said on Wednesday that two of its nuclear power stations will not be back in service until March. Citigroup reduced its rating on the company to “sell” and assigned a target share price of 430p. Elsewhere in the energy sector, Burren Energy dropped 5 percent to 840p after investors worried that the death of the president of Turkmenistan will put its interests there in jeopardy. Burren currently produces about 18,000 barrels of oil per day from its field there.

Smith & Nephew added 3.4 percent to 537¼p, its highest share price in nine months, on rumors that the group of private equity buyers that recent purchased US rival Biomet were also interested in bidding for S&N.

In the leisure sector, cruise ship operator Carnival was up 2.9 percent to £25.36 on a fourth quarter report that rose above what had been expected.