Sensex advanced 150 points in early session, driven by gains in banking, metal and energy stocks, ahead of key macroeconomic data releases.
After touching a high of 37,421.13, the 30-share index was trading 129.68 points, or 0.35 per cent, higher at 37,400.50 at 0940 hours, while the broader Nifty rose 34.65 points, or 0.31 per cent, to 11,070.35.
In the previous session, the BSE barometer ended 125.37 points, or 0.34 per cent, higher at 37,270.82. Similarly, the broader NSE Nifty rose 32.65 points, or 0.30 per cent, to finish at 11,035.70.
The top gainers in the Sensex pack on Wednesday included Tata Steel, ICICI Bank, IndusInd Bank, ONGC, Vedanta, Sun Pharma, HDFC, SBI, M&M, Maruti and HCL Tech, rising up to 2.43 per cent.
On Wednesday, foreign portfolio investors bought shares worth a net of Rs 266.89 crore, and domestic institutional investors purchased equities worth Rs 1,132.42 crore, provisional data showed.