The Sensex at the Bombay Stock Exchange benchmark opened 121 points, or 0.7 per cent lower, at 17,629, on Wednesday, as investors sold stocks amid weak global bourses. After recovering from its lows, the Sensex stood 18 points, or 0.1 percent in the red, at 17,732 a short while ago. Other Asian markets in Japan, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan had lost between 0.3 percent and 1.8 percent, after an unexpected decline in US home sales raised concerns about the strength of recovery in the world's largest economy.