Mumbai: The BSE benchmark sensex fell by 61 points in early trade as funds and retail investors booked profits after previous session's gains.

The 30-share barometer declined by 61.96 points, or 0.34 per cent, to 18,250.98 with healthcare, FMCG, PSUs and power stocks succumbing to profit-booking. The index had surged by 407.03 points yesterday after four sessions of losses.

Similarly, the wide-based National Stock Exchange index Nifty fell by 17.55 points, or 0.32 per cent, to 5,390.90.

Brokers said fresh selling by funds and retail investors, mostly of a profit-booking nature, mainly attributed fall in the Sensex but recovery in the rupee and a firming trend in the Asian region, limited the losses.

In the Asian region, Hong Kong's Hang Seng index rose 0.51 per cent, while Japan's Nikkei up 1.64 per cent in the opening trade.

The U.S. Dow Jones had ended 0.44 per cent higher in the previous trade.

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