The Bombay Stock Exchange benchmark Sensex decreased by 65 points on Friday in the initial hours of trade as oil, banking and information technology stocks were being sold by finances and retail investors , taking hints from the not so strong global markets.

The 30-share Sensex came down by 65.53 points, which is equivalent to 0.36 per cent, and settled at 18,160.82 points in the initial five minutes of trade. On Thursday, the Sensex had gone up by 46.71 points at close.

The National Stock Exchange index Nifty also came down by 25.10 points, which is equivalent to 0.45 per cent, and settled at 5,452.80 points. According to brokers, it was the selling pressure on the domestic market which led on to such a weak opening in the Asian areas after last night's all through losses on the U. S. market.

Even Hong Kong's Hang Seng index came down by 0.05 per cent, and Japan's Nikkei declined by 0.87 per cent in initial trade. The U. S. Dow Jones Industrial Average had made a close at 0.74 per cent on Thursday.