London's FTSE 100 slips as Middle East tensions persist, AstraZeneca drags

July 9 (Reuters) - The UK's FTSE 100 slipped on Thursday as investors grappled with renewed Middle East tensions, with heavyweight AstraZeneca adding to the pressure after reporting disappointing results from a late-stage trial.

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

• Oil prices were marginally higher after fresh U.S. strikes on Iran, though investor concerns were tempered after U.S. President Donald Trump said he did not expect the conflict to escalate into a full-fledged 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 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. [GOL/]

• Playtech 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 was among the top performers on the benchmark, rising more than 7% 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 in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi Majumdar)