The Sensex is down 134.12 points or 0.67% at 19928.12, and the Nifty is down 47.70 points or 0.78% at 6046.80. About 330 shares have advanced, 964 shares declined, and 64 shares are unchanged. Indian shares resumed their downward journey on Thursday tracking negative regional shares. Asian markets plunged after poor economic data from China renewing fears of slowdown.

Asian stock markets slid and the dollar rose to a 4-1/2 year high after Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke’s remarks sparked worries of a reduction in U.S. monetary stimulus and after data showed China’s factory activity shrank for the first time in seven months in May.

A sub-index measuring overall new orders dropped to 49.5, the lowest reading since September, suggesting China’s domestic economy is not strong enough to offset soft external demand, reportes Reuters. ndia’s main BSE index falls 0.66 percent and the broader NSE index is down 0.8 percent, heading towards their fourth consecutive session of declines.

Japan’s Nikkei was down 6.3 percent from day’s high. Nikkei has fallen on weak Chinese PMI data. The HSBC Purchasing Managers’ Index for May fell to 49.6, slipping under the 50-point level indicating contraction in the economy for the first since October. The final HSBC PMI stood at 50.4 in April. Japanese government bonds (JGB) plunged on Thursday, taking yields to their highest in a year.

Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd slumps 6 percent after majority shareholder Daiichi Sankyo Co said it believes former shareholders of the Indian company hid information regarding U.S. regulatory probes.

Larsen & Toubro Ltd falls 2.5 percent, adding to Wednesday’s nearly 6 percent decline, after its January-March profit fell while its guidance disappointed investors. State Bank of India is down 2.2 percent ahead of its March-quarter earnings later in the day.