The UK’s FTSE 100 experienced a decline on Thursday as investors contended with escalating tensions in the Middle East. This downward movement was exacerbated by AstraZeneca, which reported unsatisfactory results from a late-stage trial, contributing to the overall market pressure.

The blue-chip FTSE 100 index fell 0.6% to 10,417.63 points by 1045, while the midcap FTSE 250 climbed 0.1%.

• Oil prices experienced a slight increase following recent U.S. strikes on Iran. However, investor apprehensions were alleviated after U.S. President Donald Trump indicated that he did not foresee the conflict escalating into a full-scale war. Energy stocks fell 1%.
• Pharmaceutical shares were the worst performers, down 6.2%, led by a 9.2% drop in AstraZeneca after the drugmaker’s nerve disease drug Wainua, made in partnership with U.S.-based Ionis, failed to meet the main goal of reducing cardiovascular deaths and recurring heart problems in a late-stage trial.
• Precious metal miners opened new tab rose 2.6%, tracking higher gold prices as a weaker dollar boosted bullion’s appeal, while investors continued to monitor developments in the Middle East for clues on the inflation and interest-rate outlook.
• Playtech opens new tab topped the midcap index, rising 17.7% after the gaming firm forecast 2026 adjusted core profit above market expectations on robust growth in the U.S. and Latin America.
• Computacenter opened a new tab and was among the top performers on the benchmark, rising more than 7% after the IT services provider indicated that it expects annual results to exceed market expectations, driven by robust demand for AI-related infrastructure from hyperscale customers in North America and the UK.