The Sensex at the Bombay stock Exchange rose 269 points, or 1.5 per cent, to touch the 18,000 level in opening trade, this morning, on continued buying by funds and retail investors, tracking a firm global trend. But later, after the release of GDP growth data, the Sensex gave up all its intial gains, to slip 13 points into negative territory, at 17,718 in afternoon deals, amid very volatile trade, a short while ago. Key stock indices in Japan, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Taiwan, Singapore, and South Korea were up by between 0.2 percent and 2 percent, today, on easing crude oil prices. The US Dow Jones Industrial Average had gained 0.2 per cent, overnight, to reach its highest level since May 2008.