FTSE 100 slides as tech sell‑off and oil price surge weigh on markets

The FTSE 100 closed down 27.85 points as investors reacted to AI‑spending concerns and higher oil futures, while US and European indexes also slipped.

By Felo News Desk · Published Thu, 22 Oct 2026 18:44:25 GMT

The FTSE 100 ended Thursday lower as a tech sell‑off and surging oil prices pushed equities down, according to reports from the Independent and the Standard.

What happened

In London the FTSE 100 finished at 10,725.03, down 27.85 points (0.3%). The FTSE 250 fell 228.07 points (0.9%) to 24,211.71, and the AIM all‑share lost 12.19 points (1.6%) to 750.93. Across Europe, France’s CAC 40 dropped 1.4% and Germany’s DAX 40 slipped 1.1%.

In New York, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 0.3% at the close in London, the S&P 500 fell 1.1%, and the Nasdaq Composite slid 2.0%.

What the reports add

Both outlets cited concerns that “the sustainability of AI spending hurt… markets and rising oil prices stoked concerns about the threat posed by inflation,” quoting AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould. The Independent added that Meta Platforms’ shares fell 5.6% despite better‑than‑expected third‑quarter revenue, with CFO Susan Li warning that the AI agent Muse would increase serving costs. The Standard repeated the same detail about Meta and noted that IBM fell 1.1%, Lam Research dropped 10%, and Tesla slipped 0.9% after earnings.

Trade Nation analyst David Morrison described the market move as “a worrying reversal in investor sentiment” after Wednesday’s tech‑led gains.

What was said

Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, said the market was “concerned about the sustainability of AI spending” and that rising oil prices “stoked concerns about the threat posed by inflation.”
Susan Li, chief financial officer of Meta Platforms, told reporters that the company’s AI agent Muse would require significant investment and that total serving costs were expected to rise.
David Morrison, analyst at Trade Nation, called the reaction “a worrying reversal in investor sentiment.”

How it came about

Earlier this month, Felo News reported on oil‑price volatility linked to Iranian tanker attacks that pushed Brent crude above $104 a barrel and lifted US Treasury yields to 24‑year highs (oil‑price‑surge‑iranian‑tanker‑attacks). Those higher energy costs have fed inflation worries, which, combined with doubts over the payoff of recent AI spending, helped set the tone for Thursday’s market decline. The broader sell‑off mirrors earlier dips in US and Asian markets when oil prices rose and yields surged (us‑stocks‑dip‑oil‑prices‑swing‑iran‑fears), showing a pattern of energy‑driven pressure on equities.

Key facts

FTSE 100 closed at 10,725.03, down 0.3% (independent.co.uk)
FTSE 250 fell 0.9% to 24,211.71 (independent.co.uk)
Nasdaq Composite slid 2.0% on the day (independent.co.uk)
Meta Platforms shares dropped 5.6% despite better Q3 revenue (independent.co.uk)
Analyst David Morrison called the market move a ‘worrying reversal in investor sentiment’ (independent.co.uk)