The Sensex at the Bombay Stock Exchange rose 97 points, or 0.5 per cent, to 19,421 in early trade, this morning, on fresh buying by investors, amid rising regional bourses. Later, the Sensex remained firm and stood 86 points, or 0.5 per cent in the green, at 19,410 in afternoon deals, a short while ago.Stock markets in Japan, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Singapore, Taiwan, and South Korea had gained between 0.1 percent and 1 percent, today. But the US Dow Jones Industrial Average had ended 0.1 per cent lower in yesterday's trade, on fiscal-cliff concerns.