Sensex opens 148 points lower

However, gains on other Asian bourses capped the losses in the domestic market.

The 30-share barometer, which rallied by over 823 points in the previous three sessions, declined by 147.66 points, or 0.80 per cent, to 18,298.84 points in the first few minutes of trade today as IT, metal, realty, oil and gas and capital goods stocks succumbed to profit-booking.

In a similar fashion, the wide-based National Stock Exchange Nifty index slid by 48.60 points, or 0.88 per cent, to 5,473.70 points.

Brokers said profit-booking by market participants, after the Sensex registered its biggest gain in over 21 months of 623 points on Tuesday, influenced the trading sentiment.

Rising crude oil in the global markets also cast their shadow on the domestic bourses, they said.