The BSE benchmark Sensex today rose by nearly 152 points to 16,335 in early trade today. It extended gains for the fourth straight session on buying by funds and retail investors. The 30-share barometer gained nearly 153 points in the previous session. The wide-based National Stock Exchange index Nifty moved up by 44 points to 4,950 points. Rupee recovered from record lows and gained 17 paise against the US dollar in forex market. Rupee bounced back to 54.86 rupees in early trade, which had plunged to all-time low of 55.04 rupees in yesterday's trade against the dollar Meanwhile in the Asian region, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index rose by 0.61 per cent and Japan's Nikkei Index by 1.02 per cent in morning trade. The US Dow Jones Industrial Average ended 1.09 per cent higher in yesterday's trade after upbeat housing data and stronger-than-expected corporate earnings.