London's blue-chip share index bounced back as its sharpest rise in nearly four years saw it recover from all the losses it endured earlier this week.
Markets turned higher in the latest episode of the rollercoaster ride that has gripped global share indices amid growing fears over a slowdown in China.
The FTSE 100 Index rose 212.8 points to 6192, adding £54 billion to the value of its constituent companies. The 3.6 per cent rise was the steepest since October 2011. Germany's Dax and France's Cac 40 each added around three per cent.
Markets opened higher after a rally on Wall Street in the previous session sparked by remarks from a Federal Reserve official that appeared to push back the timing of a US interest rate hike that had been expected in September.
This had also triggered a 5.3% surge for China's Shanghai Composite Index overnight, its biggest gain in eight weeks.
The Dow Jones rose again in the latest session on official figures upgrading America's second quarter growth to an annual rate of 3.7 per cent, sharply up from a previous estimate of 2.3 per cent - also helping the rally in London to accelerate.
Miners were among those leading the rally in the City. But experts cautioned of more volatility to come amid ongoing concerns over China, the world's second biggest economy - warning the upturn could prove to be a "dead cat bounce".
Tony Cross, market analyst at Trustnet Direct, said: "Bouts of volatility like we have seen in the last week are rarely short lived, so the situation could last for some time yet."
The FTSE 100 had shed 4.7 per cent on Monday, rallied by 3.1 per cent on Tuesday, and fallen by 1.7 per cent on Wednesday.
In currency markets, sterling fell a cent against the US dollar to a little below 1.54, with the greenback strengthened by the upgrade for economic growth. But the pound was higher against a weakening euro, at just over 1.37.
Among stocks in London, miners - which have been hard hit by China's woes and the effect on plunging commodity prices - led the recovery.
Anglo American rose nine per cent, or 62p, to 726.3p while BHP Billiton was close behind with an increase of 93p to 1102.5p and Antofagasta climbed 50p to 611.5p. Asia-focused bank Standard Chartered was up by seven per cent, or 49.7p, at 757p.
Elsewhere, challenger bank Aldermore leapt eight per cent or 22p higher to 300p in the FTSE 250 Index after seeing interim profits double to £39.5 million, up from £18.6 million a year earlier.
Recruiter Hays climbed too after posting an 18 per cent rise in pre-tax profits to £156.1 million for the year to the end of June - though it said a post-election upturn in activity in the UK and Ireland had not materialised.
Chief executive Alistair Cox said the group, which operates in 33 countries, remained on course to deliver a five-year target to double operating profits by 2018 and the full-year dividend was hiked by five per cent. Shares rose 3.9p to 158.1p.
The biggest risers in the FTSE 100 Index were Anglo American up 62p to 726.3p, BHP Billiton up 93p to 1102.5p, Antofagasta up 50p to 611.5p and Standard Chartered up 49.7p to 757p.
The only faller in the FTSE 100 Index was Whitbread, down 44p to 4776p.
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