Mumbai:
The BSE benchmark index Sensex declined by over 32 points in early trade, as funds and retail investors booked profits after Tuesday's gains.
The 30-share index, which had gained 110.61 points on Tuesday, fell by 32.56 points or 0.18 percent, to 17,174.73, with stocks of IT, capital goods, auto and realty sectors succumbing to profit-booking.
Similarly, the wide-based National Stock Exchange index Nifty shed 11.20 points or 0.21 percent, to 5,211.45.
Brokers said profit-booking by speculators after Tuesday's gains led to the fall in select stock prices.
In addition, a cautious approach adopted by participants ahead of tomorrow's monthly expiry in the derivatives segments also influenced the trading sentiment, they added.
In the Asian region, Hong Kong's Hang Seng index rose by 0.08 percent, while Japan's Nikkei Index gained 0.94 percent in morning trade. The U.S. Dow Jones Industrial Average ended 0.58 percent higher on Tuesday.
