The London equities markets were lower on Monday, with the FTSE 100 dropping 0.5 percent to 6,126.8 and the FTSE 250 falling 0.4 percent to 10,308.6.

In the pharmaceuticals sector, Shire dropped 2.8 percent on the session to 940p on profit-taking. Shire is up 45 percent on the year so far.

Wolfson Microelectronics dropped 3.9 percent to 292¼p after McCall, Aitken, McKenzie, a new broker, advised its clients to sell after Wolfson’s rally last week. Elsewhere in the semiconductors sector, ARM Holdings fell 3.5 percent to 109p in anticipation of its third quarter report, due later in the day.

Insurers were higher. Aviva added 0.2 percent to 771p and Prudential, which rebuffed an Aviva bid earlier in the year, gained 1.7 percent to 641p on analyst sentiment that it remains vulnerable to a bid after recent weak data. Many believe that Aviva is still interested. Elsewhere, Standard Life gained 1.6 percent to 287½p on media reports that Axa of France could be interested in bidding for the life assurer, even though analysts were not convinced.

Hanson added 2.3 percent to 727½p on ABN Amro’s repeat of its “buy” rating and £10.60 target share price. The building materials group had dropped 4.4 percent on Friday.

The London equities markets were higher on Wednesday on gains in the tobacco and oil sectors. The oil sector was higher after US inventory numbers showed that stockpiles of crude oil, gasoline, and heating oil were all lower last week. The FTSE 100 added 0.5 percent to 6,214.6 percent, while the FTSE 250 gained 0.2 percent to close at 10,425.4, another new record.

Imperial Tobacco Group was 1.6 percent higher to £18.55 ahead of its full-year report, due next week. British American Tobacco, which is scheduled to release its third quarter report later on Wednesday, added 2.5 percent to £14.82 on strong results from Reynolds American. BAT holds 42 percent of Reynolds, which also learned that a US appeals court on the federal level will hear arguments concerning whether a case looking for $200 billion from tobacco companies can be conducted as a class action suit. Meanwhile, Gallaher gained 3.1 percent to 884½p on bids rumors and positive comments.

The pharmaceuticals sector was mixed after UBS upgraded the sector to “overweight”. GlaxoSmithKline added 1.5 percent to £15.11 ahead of the announcement of its third quarter results, but AstraZeneca fell 1.2 percent to £35.92.

Chipmaker Wolfson Microelectronics added 6.4 percent to 287¼p on a perceived vulnerability to bids and on an upgrade to “buy” from Bridgewell Securities. Meanwhile, software maker Misys added 2.4 percent to 205p on the news that an activist group of investors from the US had taken a 4.4 percent stake in the company and on a reiteration of a “buy” recommendation from UBS.

The London equities markets were mixed on Friday and closed out the week lower than they began. The FTSE 100 was 0.01 percent lower on the session and 2.1 points lower on the week to 6,155.2, while the FTSE 250 added 0.1 percent Friday but lost 43.1 points over the week to close at 10,356.5.

Banks were lower, with Lloyds TSB down 1 percent to 562½p, while Northern Rock dropped 1.2 percent to £11.76 on the news that the Office of Fair Trading has recommended that the Payment Protection Insurance market be looked at by the Competition Commission. Both Lloyds and Northern Rock make from 14 to 18 percent of their profits from PPI commissions.

Among other losers, PartyGaming was 7.2 percent lower to 29p on a disappointing trading update, while in the semiconductors sector Wolfson Microelectronics fell to 279p on a profits warning.

Ladbrokes added 2.6 percent to 401¼p and 12 million shares changed hands on rumors that a private equity group would make a bid. Still in the leisure sector, Intercontinental Hotels Group was 2.5 percent higher to 997p.

Amvescap gained 1.6 percent to 614p on positive comments from Deutsche Bank. Meanwhile, media group Pearson was up 0.9 percent to 784½p.

Both the FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 were lower in London on Tuesday. Among the circumstances leading to the declines were word of terrorist bombings in Mumbai and a slow start for the markets in New York. The FTSE 100 dropped 0.6 percent to 5,857.3, while the FTSE 250 fell by 0.7 percent to 9,320.3.

Companies with exposure in India were hurt by news that terrorists had bombed several train stations and trains in Mumbai, with considerable loss of life. Vedanta Resources declined by 1.6 percent to £13.70, while Cairn Energy was down 2.3 percent to £20.85 and Standard Chartered dropped 2.7 percent to £12.87.

There were big losses in the semiconductor sector, as Wolfson Microelectronics fell 13.2 percent to 386¼p, for the largest decline on the 250, on speculation that its second-quarter report could contain less than positive news. Elsewhere in the sector, wireless chip designer CSR declined by 7.5 percent to £11.

Among banks, Barclays lost 1.4 percent to 609p on rumors that it has received a broker downgrade due to slow growth in its investment banking unit.

There were few stocks in the black for the day. In the retail sector, Marks & Spencer added 0.3 percent to 585p on a first-quarter trading update that was in line with expectations. Pubs group Enterprise Inns gained 0.4 percent to 958p, while Scottish & Southern Energy gained 0.7 percent to £11.80.

The FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 both saw gains on Friday and for the entire week, but both were lower for the second quarter of the year. The 100 ended the day 0.7 percent higher to 5,833.4. This meant a gain of 2.5 percent this week, but still left it 2.2 percent lower in the second quarter of 2006. The 250 ended the day up by 1.3 percent to 9,422.7, also a 2.5 percent gain for the week. It dropped 4.3 percent during the quarter, however. Trade volumes on the day were higher than they have been, with more than 3 billion shares trading hands.

Miners were up as the news of another interest rate hike in the United States sent metals prices higher. BHP Billiton gained 1.75 percent to £10.49, while Anglo American added 2.5 percent to £22.18 and Xstrata was up 3.1 percent to £20.50.

In the steel sector, Corus advanced by 2.5 percent to 456½p as rumors persisted that India’s Tata Steel is interested in making a bid.

Among utilities, Centrica added 4.1 percent to 285¼p after the head of Gazprom said during a news conference in Moscow that while there are not talks going on presently, he is still interested in purchasing the owner of British Gas. Gazprom recently bought Pennine Natural Gas, based in Cheshire.

In the semiconductor sector, Wolfson Microelectronics gained 4.3 percent to 115¼p on a reconfirmation of a “buy” recommendation from ABN Amro.

The London equities markets were mixed on Monday, as the FTSE 100 added 0.7 percent to 6,067.0 but the FTSE 250 declined by 0.4 percent to 9,878.9.

Miners once again were among the gainers on the day. Antofagasta was up 3.4 percent to £23.39, while Kazakhmys and Anglo American each gained 2.9 percent, to £12.35 and £24.05 respectively.

In the advertising sector, WPP added 2.7 percent to 690½p on positive comments from both Deutsche Bank and Lehman Brothers.

Media companies were also up on the day. Pearson, which owns the Financial Times, gained 2.4 percent to 781p. EMI added 2.8 percent to 257p as talk circulated that it might merge with US company Warner Music Group.

Rising crude oil prices sent BP up 1.8 percent to 693½p as traders predicted that shares in the company could go as high as 720p.

In the telecommunications sector, Vodafone gained 0.4 percent as it was rumored that Verizon, Telefonica of Spain, and the Blackstone private equity group could bid for the company.

On the other hand, word that GlaxoSmithKline will not be bought by Serono brought a gain of 1.2 percent to the largest pharmaceuticals company in Europe, bringing its share price to £14.94. Also helping GSK was an upgrade to “outperform” from Sanford C. Bernstein on the hope that it will have developed a H5N1 flu vaccine by early next year.

Losers on the day included hotels company De Vere, which lost 1.8 percent to 800p. Northern Foods declined by 3.3 percent to 95¼p on worries that bird flu concerns would impact its poultry business. Among chipmakers, Wolfson Microelectronics dropped 6.5 percent to 443p on a downgrade from Goldman Sachs.