The Royal Gazette/Bermuda Stock Exchange Index slipped yesterday as Bermuda Aviation Services and Bermuda Commercial Bank Warrants fell.

The Index closed down 3.2 points to 4,879.14 on volume of 24,640 shares worth $180,525.

BAS, which released strong half-year results last week, fell 35 cents to $6.25 on volume of 5,000 shares.

BCB, whose merger talks with Butterfield Bank ended last week, saw its warrants fall 20 cents to $1 on volume of $10,000. BCB's common shares were unchanged at $9.50 on volume of 3,000 while Butterfield was unchanged at $56.25 on volume of just 540 shares.

Also closing unchanged were Argus at $13 on volume of 5,900 shares and rival insurer BF&M held at $18 on volume of 200.

The BSX Insurance Index jumped 9.87 points to close at 1,181.56 as publicly traded Bermuda-based insurers gained on strong third quarter results.

Ram Re, which released strong results last week, jumped 5.56 percent to $14.25 while Platinum shot up 2.12 percent to $30.36. Also up were XL Capital, which gained 1.84 percent to close at $70.66 and Renaissance Re, which gained 1.21 percent to end at $56.17.

Non-insurance stocks also did well, with HSBC trading up 1.64 percent to $98.41 on the New York Stock Exchange and WP Stewart shooting up 2.99 percent to close at $14.13.