Extending gains for the third straight day, the BSE benchmark Sensex rose by over 140 points in early trade today on sustained buying by funds and retail investors, tracking a firming global trend. The 30-share barometer, which gained nearly 420 points in the last two sessions, rose further by 140.20 points to trade at 17,618.35. The wide-based National Stock Exchange index Nifty also moved up by 43.25 points to 5,361.15. In Asia, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index rose by 0.57 per cent, while Japan's Nikkei index was up by 0.41 per cent. The US Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.40 per cent in yesterday's trade.