The FTSE 100 climbed 51 points to 8,219, with BT Group at the top of the rises following its massive investment from Bharti. Oil prices surged on the back of tensions in the Middle East. China suffered a record foreign investment outflow, Harland & Wolff’s shares were still suspended as the group continued to grapple with financial difficulties, and Royal Mail’s parent spelled out plans to sell its US freight business. Across the Atlantic, US stocks got off to a positive start to the week.

The FTSE 100 index in London took a positive turn today, moving up by 51 points to 8,219, as BT Group PLC’s stock price rose after Bharti announced an agreement to buy a major stake in the company. That news helped the index recover from last week’s ups and downs, which were due to concerns over the US economy and Friday’s poor jobs report.

Today’s action is a big improvement on last week’s chaotic trading,” according to Chris Beauchamp, an analyst at IG Group. The week before was quite turbulent, with concerns over the US economy, but this news has calmed nerves a bit.

Oil prices have increased dramatically during this period. The driving factor behind this increase can be attributed to the fear of surging tension in the Middle East. Beauchamp stated that a recent outburst of fear over potential conflict between Iran and Israel contributed to higher oil prices. This risk, that appeared to ebb in recent weeks, has resurfaced and affects world markets.

Foreign investments have had quite an outflow in China. Direct investments in the country slid by almost $15 billion (£11.8 billion) in the three months to June, data from the State Administration of Foreign Exchange showed. It was a second straight quarterly decline of $5 billion in the first half of the year—the first time such an event has happened. Investment peaked at a record $344 billion in 2021 but has since decreased. This mirrors rising concerns over the health of China’s economy.

Meanwhile, shipbuilder Harland & Wolff is also in trouble. It has confirmed its shares will continue to be suspended while sorting out financial trouble. Harland & Wolff is working on preserving its core operations and seeking a way forward after a series of recent setbacks, including the denial of a government bailout and the loss of a major contract. Shareholders, who own 30% of the firm, expressed fears that Harland & Wolff was preparing to enter “pre-pack administration,” a form of insolvency procedure.

International Distributions Services PLC, the parent company of Royal Mail, is set to sell its US freight division to DC Logistics. The sale is part of a scheme by its parcel delivery unit, GLS, to focus on core parcel services. The sale is likely to be completed in early September and is part of the wider overhaul of operations under plans by IDS following an agreement to a £3.57 billion takeover by Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky. Its shares rose 0.2% to 338.20p on the back of the news.

In the US, stocks had a promising start to the week. The Nasdaq climbed 60 points to 16,805, the Dow Jones advanced 68 points to 39,565, and the S&P 500 advanced 14 points to 5,358. This is quite a good start since the global sell-offs began last week amid fears of an economic slump. Investors now turn their attention to future data regarding inflation and retail sales, which will give a fuller picture of the US economy. Some of the company performances that stood out were Barrick Gold Corp., which surged 4.8% as it reported stronger output for the second quarter above expectations, and KeyCorp shares rose 15.3% following a $2.8 billion investment by The Bank of Nova Scotia for a 14.9% stake in the firm.

Today’s market updates indicate that, on the whole, things seem to be recovering but certainly will not be helped by specific challenges in companies and continued geopolitical jitters over oil prices, with the FTSE 100 at positive levels and the US stocks rising.