Mumbai/IBNS, Dec. 31 -- Indian equity benchmarks opened on a positive note on Wednesday, with the BSE Sensex rising nearly 150 points in early trade, media reports said.

The benchmark index sustained its gains even after an hour of trading, while the NSE Nifty 50 stayed comfortably above the 26,000 mark.

The market's positive momentum was driven by strong buying in PSU bank and metal stocks, helping indices recover losses from the previous four consecutive sessions.

HFCL (up 8.14%), IFCI (7.55%) and Jupiter Wagons (6.54%) emerged as the top gainers in morning trade.

On the downside, Asahi India Glass fell 3.69%, followed by Aditya Birla Sun Life AMC (down 2.70%) and Navin Fluorine International (down 2.57%).

Hindustan Copper shares d...