The Sensex at the Bombay Stock Exchange opened 79 points, or 0.4 per cent higher, at 18,153, this morning, on renewed buying in blue-chips, especially banking and PSU stocks. Gaining further, the Sensex stood 137 points, or 0.8 per cent in the green, at 18,211, a short while ago. Other Asian markets in Japan, Singapore, China, Taiwan, Indonesia, South Korea and Hong Kong were up by between 0.1 per cent and 1 per cent, as investors hunted for bargains, following a three-day losing streak.