BSE Sensex gains 125 points in early trade, NSE Nifty up 41 points

Continuing its rising streak for the fourth straight session, the 30-share index rose by 125.27 points, or 0.65 per cent, to 19,538.81 points. The index had gained 535.58 points in the previous three sessions.

Stocks of oil and gas, consumer durables and banking sectors led the rally.

The wide-based Nifty of the National Stock Exchange regained 5,900 points level by rising 40.85 points, or 0.69 per cent, to 5,904.15.

Brokers said continued buying by funds and retail investors on hopes that the Reserve Bank of India may announce a rate cut in its policy review later this month and a firming trend on the other Asian bourses, influenced the trading sentiment here.

In the Asian region, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index rose by 1.07 per cent, while Japan's Nikkei was higher by 2.17 per cent in the morning trade today. The US Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.23 per cent to close at fresh record high in yesterday's trade.

Nifty futures on the Singapore Exchange gains 0.02 percent. The MSCI-Asia Pacific index, excluding Japan was up 0.29 percent.

Overnight gains in U.S. stocks underpinned Asian shares on Friday, but prices were capped ahead of key U.S. jobs and Chinese trade figures due later in the session, while the dollar hovered near a 3-1/2-year high against the yen.

U.S. stocks closed modestly higher on Thursday, with the Dow

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