The Sensex remained positive on continued buying activity across key frontline stocks.

Positive opening of European markets also backed the overall market reaction.

For the week ended March 7, 2009, India`s benchmark wholesale price index (WPI), inflation declined sharply to 0.44% as against 2.43% during the last week.

It was at 7.78% during the corresponding week the previous year.

Realty stocks were in limelight and gained the most followed by IT and oil & gas stocks, while consumer goods and FMCG stocks remained weak.

Today, the 30-share index, BSE Sensex opened at 9,023.04, up 46.36 points.

BSE Midcap and Smallcap index also gained 0.76% and 1.18% on account of good buying interest.

At 02:50 p.m., the 30-share index Sensex gained 62.15 points at 9,038.83 after hitting a high of 9,086.77 and a low of 8,900.39.

Meanwhile Nifty was trading higher by 15.85 points at 2,810.55 after touching a high of 2,822.25 and a low of 2,771.35.

The top gainers in the 30-share index were Sterlite Industries (India) (3.58%), Housing Development Finance Corporation (2.96%), Sun Pharmaceutical Industries (2.54%), NTPC (1.83%), Infosys Technologies (1.59%), and Maruti Suzuki India (1.53%).

The top losers in the Sensex pack were Larsen & Toubro (2.81%), Bharat Heavy Electricals (2.28%), Tata Motors (2.27%), Reliance Communications (1.47%), Tata Steel (1.36%), and Hindustan Unilever (1.16%).

European stocks gained, led by mining companies as the Federal Reserve`s plans to buy up to $300 billion in long-term U.S. government bonds buy USD 300 billion of government bonds boosted metal prices.

FTSE 100 gained 23.83 points, or 0.63%, to trade at 3,828.82, CAC 40 advanced 28.61 points, or 1.04%, to trade at 2,788.95 and DAX surged 58 points, or 1.45%, to trade at 4,054.32. (3.01 p.m., IST)