The wide-based National Stock Exchange index Nifty also drifted by 30.40 points, or 0.60 per cent to 5,011.35.

Stock brokers said increased capital outflows by foreign funds in view of approaching year-end and weak trends on the global markets mainly dampened the trading sentiments here.

Besides, profit booking by retail investors in select counters at prevailing prices, also attributed to the fall in stock prices, they said.

Major stocks which were under pressure in early trade were Reliance Industries down 0.18 per cent to Rs 1,032.20, Infosys Technologies lower by 0.64 per cent to Rs 2,545, DLF Ltd down 0.16 per cent to Rs 364.75 and ICICI Bank by 0.95 per cent to Rs 817.60.

However, bucking the trend, Tata Motors traded 1.52 per cent higher at Rs 721.10, buoyed by reports of rise in global sales in November.

The Hong Kong's Hang Seng index was down 0.94 per cent, while Japan's Nikkei fell 0.78 per cent in the morning trade today. The US Dow Jones Industrial Average had closed 1.27 per cent down yesterday.