UK's FTSE 100 ticks lower as AstraZeneca drag offsets banks, mining gains

AstraZeneca

09/07/2026 17:04

FTSE 100 down 0.2%, FTSE 250 up 1%
AstraZeneca slumps after late-stage trial setback
Playtech tops midcaps on upbeat 2026 profit forecast
Updates after markets close

    July 9 (Reuters) - The UK's FTSE 100 ended slightly lower on Thursday as heavyweight AstraZeneca dropped after reporting disappointing results from a late-stage trial, offsetting gains in mining and bank stocks. 
The blue-chip FTSE 100 index .FTSE fell 0.2% to 10,472.5  points, while the midcap FTSE 250 .FTMC climbed 1% to snap a three-day losing streak. 
Pharmaceutical shares .FTNMX201030 were the worst performers, down 4.3%, led by a 6.2% drop in AstraZeneca AZN.L after the drugmaker's nerve disease drug Wainua, made in partnership with U.S.-based Ionis IONS.O, failed to meet the main goal of reducing cardiovascular deaths and recurring heart problems in a late-stage trial.
Precious metal miners .FTNMX551030 rose 4%, 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. GOL/
Industrial metal miners .FTNMX551020 advanced 4.1%, tracking higher base metal prices, while heavyweight banks .FTNMX301010 added 2.2%. 
Iranian armed forces launched attacks on U.S. military infrastructure in Gulf states following U.S. strikes on Iran's southern coastal and eastern provinces, putting further strain on a three-week-old ceasefire agreement.
Oil prices meanwhile slipped over 1%, dragging UK energy shares .FTNMX601010 down 1.5%. 
Playtech PTEC.L topped the midcap index, rising 14.1% after the gaming firm forecast 2026 adjusted core profit above market expectations on robust growth in the U.S. and Latin America.
Computacenter CCC.L was among the top performers on the benchmark, rising more than 7.2% after the IT services provider said it expects annual results to exceed market expectations, helped by strong demand for AI-related infrastructure from hyperscale customers in North America and the UK.

 (Reporting by Tharuniyaa Lakshmi and Shashwat Chauhan in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi Majumdar)
 ((tharuniyaa@thomsonreuters.com))