Sensex at day's high, up 188pts

The Sensex is now up 184 points at 16,688.

Updated at 1455 hrs

The Sensex is now up 126 points at 15,631.

SBI has soared 3.3% to Rs 1,700, and ICICI Bank has surged nearly 3% to Rs 921.

Reliance Energy have rallied 2.7% to Rs 932. Bharti Airtel has gained 2.3% at Rs 833.

Grasim has moved up 1.8% to Rs 849. Larsen & Toubro, Reliance Communications, Hindustan Unilever and Mahindra & Mahindra are up over 1% each at Rs 2,623, Rs 537, Rs 215 and Rs 706, respectively.

Cipla has dropped 1.8% to Rs 169.

Out of 2,799 stocks traded so far, 1,793 have advanced, 936 have declined and 70 are unchanged.