Sensex up 81 points in early trade

MUMBAI: The Bombay Stock Exchange benchmark Sensex gained 81 points in early trade on Wednesday on the back of funds buying in heavy-weight stocks, taking cues from firm Asian stock markets.
    
The 30-share index, which moved up by 31.87 points in the previous session, rose further by 80.88 points to 14,563.10.
    
Similarly, the wide-based National Stock Exchange's index Nifty gained 26.75 points at 4,364.25.
    
Marketmen said reports of firming trends at other Asian markets mainly influenced the trading sentiments here.
    
They said, however, rise in the crude oil prices in the global markets capped the gains to some extent.
    
Stocks of ONGC were in good demand following the acquisition of UK-based oil firm Imperial Energy by its wholly owned subsidiary, ONGC Videsh, and traded Rs 9.45 higher at Rs 1,024.90.
    
Other gainers, which supported the Sensex were Reliance Industries, Reliance Energy, RCom, Reliance Capital, Unitech, Larsen and Toubro, Tata Steel, SAIL, State Bank of India and Infosys Technologies.
    
Meanwhile, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index was up by nearly 155 points in early trade.