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London\u2019s FTSE 100 \u200cslipped for a second straight session on Thursday as weakness in bank and energy stocks eclipsed gains in data and software shares.<\/strong><\/p>\n The blue-chip FTSE 100 index \u200bfell 0.8% to 10,792.54 points in its steepest one-day drop in \u200b1-1\/2 months. The midcap FTSE 250 ended about flat.<\/p>\n Bank \u2060stocks were among the biggest drags on the index as gilt \u200byields fell after investors pushed back expectations for the Bank of England\u2019s next \u200bquarter-point interest rate hike to 2027.<\/p>\n Oil majors Shell and BP dropped about 1.5% each.<\/p>\n Technology shares were a bright spot, leading gains sectorally, up 1% as Nvidia forecast a 70% jump \u200bin revenue next fiscal year, underscoring unabated demand for AI computing.<\/p>\n UK\u2019s \u200bdata and software firms climbed after forecast bumps from Salesforce and CrowdStrike offered a \u200cboost \u2060to the lagging sector. Relx gained 3.3%, London Stock Exchange Group added 4.4% and Experian climbed 2.8%.<\/p>\n Among individual stocks, Britain\u2019s Halfords jumped 12.6% to the top of the FTSE Midcap index after forecasting annual profit \u200babove market expectations.<\/p>\n Computacenter \u200brose 4.7% to \u2060a record high and topped the FTSE 100 index after Peel Hunt upgraded the stock to \u201cbuy\u201d from \u201cadd\u201d and raised \u200bits price target to 6,000 pence from 4,400 pence.<\/p>\n Ten \u200bLifestyle Group \u2060climbed 3.9% after it said it had secured a new multi-year contract in the Americas.<\/p>\n Attention shifts to a speech from Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh at \u2060Jackson \u200bHole on Friday after hotter-than-expected inflation data \u200bprompted investors to modestly increase bets on a rate hike next month.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n