Indian benchmark equity indices ended lower for the second consecutive session on Tuesday, dragged down by losses in information technology and public sector banking stocks as investors remained cautious amid continuing geopolitical tensions in West Asia.
The Sensex declined 238.41 points, or 0.31 per cent, to settle at 77,470.11, while the Nifty fell 51 points, or 0.21 per cent, to close at 24,187.70.
Among the Nifty constituents, HDFC Bank, Infosys and State Bank of India emerged as the top laggards, putting pressure on the frontline indices.
The broader market, however, outperformed the benchmark indices. The Nifty MidCap index ended 0.3 per cent higher, while the Nifty SmallCap index gained 0.53 per cent.
On the sectoral front, the Nifty PSU Bank and Nifty IT indices recorded the steepest declines during the session.
In contrast, the Nifty Chemical and Nifty Cement indices finished among the top gainers, reflecting sector-specific buying despite the overall weakness in the market.
-IANS
