Sensex rises to highest in 30 months

It climbed as high as 18,345.16,its best since February 2008.

PRE-OPEN: Indian shares seen higher; Idea,Sesa Goa eyed

Indian shares should start higher on Thursday tailing firmer world markets,but the market is seen rangebound in the absence of strong domestic drivers.

Idea Cellular,Unitech and ABB will be watched after the National Stock Exchange said the stocks would excluded from the 50-share Nifty index from Oct. 1.

Bajaj Auto,Sesa Goa and Dr Reddy’s will replace the shares in the index.

State-run Oil India and GAIL India will be on the radar after DNA newspaper reported the companies are jointly planning to buy shale gas assets in the United States.

The MSCI’s measure of Asian markets other than Japan was up 0.2 percent by 0305 GMT,while Japan’s Nikkei climbed 1 percent.

The Nifty India stock futures in Singapore were down 0.1 percent.

On Wednesday,the 30-share BSE index closed 1.2 percent higher at 18,257.12 points.

STOCKS TO WATCH

* Retailer Trent Ltd after it said it would add 19-21 stores in FY11 and invest 1.5-1.7 billion rupees.

* Religare Technova Global Solutions ltd after it acquired stake in parent of risk management and compliance solutions firm Chase Cooper.

FACTORS TO WATCH

* Dollar steady vs yen on report BOJ mulls easing

* Crude pressured by rising dollar,U.S. stockpiles

* Stocks eke out gain on mixed earnings,oil dips

* Consumer stocks lift Wall St after Target outlook