Mumbai: The BSE benchmark Sensex rose nearly 145 points in early trade, extending gains for the second straight session on sustained buying by funds and retailers tracking a firming trend in Asian region.

The 30-share barometer, which had gained almost 200 points on 27 July, rose further by 144.99 points, or 0.86 percent, to 16,984.18.

All the sectoral indices led by banking, capital goods and power, were trading in positive territory with gains up to 1.15 percent.

Similarly, the wide-based National Stock Exchange index Nifty moved up by 43.50 points, or 0.85 percent, to 5,143.35.

The trading sentiment remained firm on continued buying by funds and retail investors amid a firming trend in Asian regions following Friday's gain on Wall Street on hopes for U.S. and European stimulus measures to stoke economic growth.In the Asian region, Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose by 1.13 percent, while the Japan's Nikkei by 1.08 percent in early trade on 30th July. The U.S. Dow Jones Industrial Average ended 1.46 percent higher in the last session on 27th July.