London, July 9, 2026, 19:03 BST
- FTSE 100 (INDEXFTSE:UKX) slipped 0.2% to 10,472.5. FTSE 250 (INDEXFTSE:MCX) added 1.0%. The move showed a gap between global defensives and traders chasing mid-cap names.
- AstraZeneca PLC (LON:AZN) fell 6.2% after its Wainua drug failed to meet the primary endpoint in a late-stage heart-disease study. Pharma was the weakest UK sector, down 4.3%.
- Computacenter PLC (LON:CCC) and Playtech PLC LON:PTEC were on the stronger side. Investors stayed interested in AI infrastructure and Americas gaming, keeping demand up.
The FTSE 100 edged lower Thursday, though the main index drop didn’t tell the whole story. A big pharmaceutical stock weighed on the benchmark, but banks, miners, tech names and mid-cap shares all moved up in the background.
FTSE 100 slipped 0.2% to 10,472.5. Gains in banks, up 2.2%, and miners, both industrial and precious-metal names, up over 4%, couldn’t make up for AstraZeneca’s trial news. The FTSE 250 added 1.0%, breaking a three-day losing streak and suggesting investors aren’t just pulling out of UK names.
| Market gauge | Latest move | Investor read-through |
|---|---|---|
| FTSE 100 (INDEXFTSE:UKX) | -0.2% to 10,472.5 | AstraZeneca losses weighed down the blue-chip index |
| FTSE 250 (INDEXFTSE:MCX) | +1.0% | Mid-caps bounced back after slipping three days running |
| Pharmaceuticals | -4.3% | AstraZeneca-led repricing on clinical trial risk |
| Industrial metal miners | +4.1% | Stronger base metals boosted cyclical shares |
| Banks | +2.2% | Banks offset some of the hit from pharma |
| STOXX Europe 600 (INDEXSTOXX:SXXP) | +0.8% to 640.88 | Broader eurozone move higher, with tech and resources leading |
The contrast stood out since London’s main index leans heavily on big global stocks, so a major drop in a defensive name can mask gains under the surface. The pan-European STOXX 600 climbed 0.8%, lifted by tech and basic resources, which left the FTSE 100 trailing and not a clean read on regional risk appetite.
AstraZeneca reported that its Phase III CARDIO-TTRansform trial for Wainua, or eplontersen, which it developed with Ionis Pharmaceuticals Inc. NASDAQ:IONS, failed to hit the main goal. The trial did not show a reduction in cardiovascular deaths or repeat cardiovascular events compared to placebo. Sharon Barr, EVP of biopharmaceuticals R&D at AstraZeneca, said Wainua was tested “on top of today’s standard of care.” The company said there was no treatment benefit in patients already on stabiliser therapy. AstraZeneca
The market reaction was quick. Reuters said BofA’s Sachin Jain called the data “comes as a surprise,” pointing to hopes linked to Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc.’s NASDAQ:ALNY Amvuttra. JM Finn’s Lucy Coutts said “investors expect AstraZeneca to succeed.” U.S. shares of Alnylam and BridgeBio Pharma Inc. NASDAQ:BBIO, which both have approved ATTR-CM treatments, jumped 6% to 16% in trading. ATTR-CM is a form of heart disease linked to abnormal protein build-up. Reuters
| Stock | Move / close | Trigger |
|---|---|---|
| AstraZeneca PLC (LON:AZN) | -6.22% to 13,354p | Wainua misses major heart-disease study goal |
| Computacenter PLC (LON:CCC) | +7.21% to 4,434p | Guidance goes up on AI and hyperscaler demand |
| Playtech PLC LON:PTEC | +14.1% | 2026 adjusted EBITDA outlook now beats consensus |
| Anglo American PLC LON:AAL | +5.83% to 3,578p | Miners got a lift as base metals strengthened |
| Antofagasta PLC LON:ANTO | +5.36% to 3,716p | Copper strength drew in buyers for resource names |
Computacenter said adjusted pretax profit for the first half is set to be about twice last year’s £81.5 million. The boost came from more North American business with hyperscale customers and extra UK AI projects. The company now expects full-year results to be “comfortably ahead” of where the market was, with consensus at £313.7 million. Investegate
Playtech expects first-half adjusted EBITDA to top €155 million and now guides at least €270 million for 2026. That new forecast is above a previous analyst average of €219 million. CEO Mor Weizer said U.S. business tied to Hard Rock Digital was “exceptionally strong.” Even so, the company flagged that second-half EBITDA will dip from the first half as revenue levels out with a key customer and as UK remote gaming duty hits. Investegate
Geopolitics was still in focus at the close. IG’s Chris Beauchamp said there was “little dramatic rhetoric today,” which kept up hopes the conflict wouldn’t escalate. But Reuters reported new attacks tied to the U.S.-Iran standoff, and oil prices dropped over 1%. That pulled UK energy stocks down 1.5%. Proactiveinvestors UK
Breadth looks shaky here. If oil jumps again or there are worse Middle East headlines, miners, banks and consumer stocks could get hit at once. AstraZeneca’s setback may leave the market watching trial risks in one of London’s key stocks. Computacenter and Playtech only offered forward guidance, not final numbers, and both warned of tougher second-half comps or pressure.
The UK corporate calendar is quiet on Friday, with updates expected from MJ Gleeson and Hays. Investors are also eyeing inflation numbers out of France and Germany for hints on rates in Europe. On Thursday, though, London’s story stayed simple: the index slipped, but underlying market weakness was less severe than the main number suggested.
