The BSE benchmark index Sensex on Wednesday regained 18,000 points level by rising nearly 209 points in early trade on Wednesday on sustained buying by funds and retailers on better-than-expected quarterly earnings by corporates.

The 30-share index, which had gained almost 100 points in last two trading sessions, shot up by 208.76 points, or 1.17 per cent, to trade at 18,057.33 with all sectoral indices, led by auto and realty, gaining up to 2.63 per cent. The wide-based Nifty of the National Stock Exchange moved up by 60.25 points, or 1.11 per cent, to 5,476.30.

Brokers said besides encouraging quarterly corporate earnings, firming trend on other Asian bourses on expectations of a solution to Greece's debt worries boosted the trading sentiment.

Better-than-exepcted quarterly earnings by Tata Motors and other blue-chip companies and easing inflation were other positive factors, they said.

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Tata Motors shot up by 6.68 per cent to Rs 285.80. In Asia, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index rose by 0.09 per cent and Japan's Nikkei Index by 1 per cent in early trade.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average ended higher by 0.03 per cent on Tuesday.