Mumbai: The benchmark BSE Sensex faltered in early trade today, declining by over 40 points on profit booking by investors in recent gainers amid mixed Asian cues.

The 30-share barometer fell 40.24 points, or 0.14 per cent, to 28,428.51 with metal, auto, FMCG and banking stocks trading in the red. The index had gained 313.19 points in the previous two sessions.

The NSE Nifty was also trading lower by 8.85 points, or 0.10 per cent, at 8,812.85. Brokers said besides profit-booking by participants after  recent gains, a mixed trend in Asian regions mainly influenced sentiment.

In other Asian markets, Japan's Nikkei shed 0.14 per cent, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng was up 0.30 per cent and China's Shanghai Composite Index was up 0.51 per cent in early trade today. The Dow Jones Industrial Average ended 0.02 per cent higher in Friday's trade.