The FTSE 100 advanced 0.5% on Thursday, insulated from a sharp global technology stock selloff due to its minimal exposure to the tech sector and strong gains in defensive, consumer, and healthcare shares. A major technology decline hit global equity markets after Meta announced plans to sell access to artificial intelligence computing. In London, AstraZeneca added over 2%, GSK 1.9%, BAE Systems nearly 1.5%, Unilever 1.5%, and British American Tobacco 1.8%, which outweighed 0.8% drops for miners Rio Tinto and Glencore alongside a 0.6% decline for HSBC. Corporate dealmaking and earnings also supported sentiment, as Capricorn Energy rallied on an agreed GBP 271 million cash takeover by Genel Energy at 357p per share, while CMC Markets climbed following an earnings guidance increase and an analyst upgrade. Additionally, retailer Currys posted financial year earnings matching analyst estimates and announced the launch of a GBP 50 million share buyback program.