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Shares edged down on Wednesday, with electrical goods retailer DSG International among the biggest losers after a muted trading update

Britain's largest shares drifted down on low volumes led by Diageo and with sentiment hit by a survey showing a sharp decline in British consumer confidence and by buoyant sterling following strong house price data.

Britain's FTSE 100 index edged higher on Friday, led by mining companies as metal prices firmed and by banks on bid talk surrounding the sector.

Britain's FTSE 100 share index closed higher on Tuesday as a surge in the cost of base metals boosted miners such as Xstrata, while steelmaker Corus rose on bid talk and reassuring results from a rival.

UK stocks closed at their highest level in nearly two weeks on Monday as numbers from Vodafone boosted investor confidence at the start of a busy earnings week and concerns over the conflict in Lebanon eased slightly.

Leading UK shares rose 1 percent on Monday, led by British mobile giant Vodafone Group Plc after it reported upbeat numbers one day before its annual general meeting and as PartyGaming firmed.

Britain's FTSE 100 index closed easier on Thursday, giving up an early advance as buyers paused after Wednesday's steep gains on easing interest rate tensions. However, support services company Capita stood out with a 9.3 percent rise after it posted a forecast-beating 24 percent jump in interim profits.

Leading British shares dropped 1 percent on Thursday, as escalating geopolitical tensions, record high oil prices and concerns over U.S. corporate profits sent jitters through global equity markets, while a decline in Aviva Plc shares also weighed.

Britain's leading shares trekked higher on Friday, putting the FTSE 100 index on course for its biggest weekly gain in nearly eight months as miners and oil stocks charged higher.

Britain's FTSE 100 share index hit a 3-week high on Thursday, fired up by strong resources and bank stocks, although trading levels were modest ahead of a U.S. interest rate decision. Banks saw HSBC and Royal Bank of Scotland gain 1.1 percent, while Barclays put on 1.5 percent.

Financial markets stalled on Wednesday as uncertainty about when the Federal Reserve will end its monetary tightening campaign kept investors sidelined, while crude oil rose above $72 a barrel on worries about U.S. gasoline supplies.

Leading UK shares closed higher on Friday but finished the week with a moderate loss as the market's recent choppy trading pattern, sparked by inflation and interest rate jitters, persisted.

Britain's leading shares bounced into positive territory on Wednesday, reversing direction from initial losses as consolidation hopes in the utility sector boosted stocks such as International Power, while insurer Friends Provident, rose after an analyst upgrade and financials generally added support.

British blue chips swung to a closing loss on Thursday and erased earlier gains, dragged lower by a drop in mobile phone giant Vodafone and losses on Wall Street.

Britain's FTSE 100 index closed sharply higher on Friday as fresh bid talk buoyed mortgage bank Alliance & Leicester, while the Midcap 250 index hit a fresh high led by brewer Greene King.

Britain's leading shares were barely weaker on Monday, propped up by gains in oil companies and miners such as BG Group as prices of crude oil and some metals traded near record levels, although most heavyweight sectors such as banks and pharmaceuticals eased.

Britain's FTSE 100 index saw earlier gains evaporate and ended lower on Thursday after mining stocks including Xstrata and Rio Tinto tracked a steep fall in commodities prices and handed back some of the sector's striking gains.