Sensex joins Asian rally, breaches 19,000

MUMBAI - A benchmark index for Indian equities Monday shot up in opening trade, breaching the 19,000 level mark and joining other buoyant Asian markets.

The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 18,845.31 points, was at 19,074.29 points, 274.63 points or 1.46 percent up from its previous close at 18,799.66 points.

The Sensex was earlier seen at this level in Jan 2008.

At the National Stock Exchange (NSE), the broader 50-share S&P CNX Nifty was ruling 1.36 percent higher at 5,716.55 points.

Broader markets indices were also in the green, with the BSE midcap 0.74 percent up and the BSE smallcap index 0.94 percent higher.

Asian markets were ruling higher after China released its industrial output data over the weekend, which showed a stronger than expected 13.9 percent rise in industrial production.