The Sensex at the Bombay Stock Exchange rose 144 points, or 0.8 percent, to 19,323 in early trade, today, on sustained buying by funds and retail investors, amid rising regional bourses. Later, the Sensex remained firm, and stood 131 points, or 0.7 percent in the green, at 19,311 in afternoon trade, a short while ago. The Sensex had gained almost 450 points in the previous three trading sessions.Stock markets in Japan, China, Singapore, Hong Kong, and South Korea had gained between 0.2 percent and 1.1 percent, today. But the US Dow Jones Industrial Average had ended 0.3 per cent lower in yesterday's trade.