The Sensex at the Bombay Stock Exchange gained 152 points, or 0.8 per cent, at 18,363 in opening trade today, as investors picked up stocks at attractive lower levels. Climbing further, the Sensex stood at 209 points, or 1.2 percent in positive territory, at 18,420, in afternoon deals, a short while ago. The 30-share index had lost nearly almost 1,400 points in the last nine trading sessions. Other Asian markets in Japan, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan fell between 0.3 percent and 1.5 percent, after a surge in US weekly jobless claims intensified worries over a faltering economic recovery.