Sensex tumbles 553 pts, Nifty holds 24,200 amid negative global signals

The domestic equity benchmarks ended lower for the second straight session on Thursday, with Nifty50 briefly falling below 24,200, intraday. The decline was primarily triggered by selling pressure in key sectors such as IT, FMCG, and banking. Amid mixed global cues, the benchmarks opened marginally higher but turned negative immediately and extended the losses as the day progressed to end near the days low. The Nifty, however, recovered and settled above the 24,200 mark. Trading was volatile due to expiry of monthly F&O contracts.