Sensex up 97 points in early trade

The Bombay Stock Exchange benchmark Sensex gained 97 points in early trade on Thursday on selective buying by funds.

The 30-share index, Sensex, which moved up by 124 points yesterday, gained 97.41 points to 15,847.81 in the first five minutes of trade.

Similarly, the wide-based National Stock Exchange's index, Nifty, rose by 35 points to 4,789.20.

Marketmen said a firming trend in some of the Asian stock markets influenced the trading sentiment in Mumbai.

Hong Kong share prices opened firm on Thursday, up 0.31 per cent, with large-caps and oil stocks supporting the benchmark index.