Mumbai, Nov 5 The Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) benchmark Sensex today fell over by 184 points as the funds and retail investors preferred to book the profits amid weak Asian markets.

Fear of rise in inflation, the weekly data released later today, also cast its shadow on the trading sentiments.

The Sensex, which had gained 507.19 points in Wednesday's trade, slipped by 184.08 points to 15,728.05 in the opening trade.

The wide-based National Stock Exchange index Nifty also drifted by 52.15 points to 4,658.65.

The brokers said that the spell of profit-taking by funds and general investors after Wednesday's gains, and losses in the other Asian markets dampened the trading sentiments here.

Stocks of metals, banking, auto, oil and gas, realty and the FMCG sectors, which had recorded handsome in Wednesday's trade, succumbed to profit-booking.

Among the metal stocks, Sterlite Industries fell by 0.14 percent to Rs 769, Tata Steel by 0.23 percent to Rs 468.25 and Hindalco by 1.34 percent to Rs 117.55.

The other major losers that dragged the Sensex down were Reliance Industries by 01.86 percent to Rs 1885, Infosys Technologies by 1.32 percent to Rs 2210, State Bank of India (SBI) by 0.94 percent to Rs 2,143 and DLF Ltd by 1.81 percent to Rs 358.50.

Japan's Nikkie-225 index opened down to 0.41 percent, while Hang Seng Index slipped to 0.67 percent in the early trade today. (ANI)