The Bombay Stocks Exchange benchmark Sensex gained by nearly 200 points in opening trade today. It was trading at 17360, up by over 160 points when reports last came in. IT and financial stocks rose on fresh buying by funds and retail investors, amid a firming trend in global markets.In Asia, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index was up 2.48 per cent, while Japan's Nikkei Index rose by 1.21 per cent in morning trade.In the US, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed 2.19 per cent higher in Friday's trade.