Sensex down over 130 points in early trade

Mumbai: The BSE benchmark index Sensex Monday fell by over 130 points in early trade Monday on selling by funds amid a mixed trend in the Asian region.

The 30-share barometer, which had gained 54.95 points in the previous session, fell by 130.56 points, or 0.70 percent, to 18,643.68 in the first few minutes of trading led by banking, information technology and oil and gas sector stocks.

Similarly, the wide-based National Stock Exchange index Nifty declined by 35.80 points, or 0.63 percent, to 5,631.85.

Brokers said selling by funds amid a mixed trend on Asian bourses mainly influenced the trading sentiment here.

In the Asian region, Hong Kong's Hang Seng index fell by 1.18 percent, while Japan's Nikkei Index edged was up by 1.42 percent in early trade.

PTI