The Sensex at the Bombay Stock Exchange declined 43 points, or 0.3 per cent, to 16,854 in early trade, today, on mild profit-booking by investors, amid weak regional bourses. Afterwards, the Sensex reamained subdued, and stood 75 points, or 0.5 per cent in the red, at 16,821 in afternoon deals, a short while ago.Other Asian markets in China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea, and Indonesia were down by between 0.8 percent and 1.4 percent, today, after the latest data showed that manufacturing activity cooled further in China, and after the US central bank disappointed investors hoping for a major new monetary stimulus. The US Dow Jones Industrial Average had ended 0.1 per cent lower, yesterday.