London Stock Exchange drags European shares lower

LONDON, March 26 (Reuters) - European shares fell on Thursday, with London Stock Exchange (Other OTC: LDNXF - news) leading the market lower on news that Borse Dubai will sell its full stake in the company and ARM Holdings (LSE: ARM.L - news) extending the previous session's steep losses, tracking its weaker U.S. peers.

Shares (Berlin: DI6.BE - news) in the London Stock Exchange fell 8.2 percent after a source familiar with the situation told Reuters that Borse Dubai, the biggest investor in the LSE, was selling its stake in the British exchange, which will raise around 1.5 billion pounds ($2.23 billion).

British chipmaker ARM fell 4.8 percent, after slipping more than 6 percent in the previous session on concerns over weak computer sales weighing on the technology sector.

The STOXX Europe 600 Technology Index fell 2.4 percent, the top sectoral decliner in Europe.

The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index was down 0.9 percent at 1,572.27 points by 0817 GMT, after falling more than 1 percent in the previous session.

However, energy stocks rose 1.7 percent, helped by a sharp rally in oil prices following tensions in Yemen. Germany's DAX, which benefits when the oil price is lower, fell 1.5 percent. (Reporting by Atul Prakash; Editing by Alistair Smout)