The Sensex at the Bombay Stock Exchange rose 64 points, or 0.4 per cent, to 18,534 in early trade, today, on sustained buying by funds and retail investors, on hopes of more reform measures by the government in the winter session of Parliament, and on positive regional bourses. Later, the Sensex remained firm, and stood 53 points, or 0.3 per cent in the green, at 18,513 in afternoon deals, a short while ago. Other Asian markets in Japan, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Singapore, Taiwan and South Korea were up by between 0.2 percent and 1 percent, today. The US Dow Jones Industrial Average had ended 0.4 per cent higher in yesterday's trade.