Positive earnings reports from some of the FTSE 100 top players have boosted the index this morning.
Shares pulled back further on Wednesday following a blow for miners and lacklustre performances on Wall Street and in Asia.
The FTSE continued to feed off global optimism in early trading on Thursday, extending yesterday's 1.5% gain.
Markets on both sides of the Atlantic have continued on their downward trajectory amid fears about the economic recovery.
The FTSE 100 has opened flat following yesterday's climb as markets await European bank stress tests results.
The FTSE 100 opened at 5,132 today and climbed 0.23% higher in early trading, bolstered by beleaguered oil major BP.
CEO's baseline scenario is muted economic growth with muddled policy response
Fidelity's Shah ups exposure to mid-cap stocks as annualised tracking error reaches highest point since 2004
Jupiter CIO John Chatfeild-Roberts is keeping the strong recent inflows into his Merlin range in cash to allow him to invest into periods of weakness caused by heightened market volatility.
The UK economy is recovering, although we expect the recovery to be fragile and anaemic.