Mumbai, Aug 4 — Benchmark equity indices ended lower on Tuesday, snapping their four-session winning streak, as investors turned cautious ahead of the Reserve Bank of India’s monetary policy decision due on Wednesday.

Weakness in banking, financial and IT stocks weighed on market sentiment. The Sensex declined 210.08 points, or 0.27 per cent, to settle at 78,428.95. The Nifty fell 159.40 points, or 0.64 per cent, to close at 24,614.90.

On the technical front, analysts noted that the Nifty gradually drifted lower through the day, slipping towards the 24,400 support zone and marking an intra-day low of 24,428. “Although it attempted a recovery from lower levels, buying interest remained limited, and the index faced selling pressure near the 24,500 zone, reinforcing it as the immediate resistance zone,” an analyst said.

“On the downside, the 24,400 zone remains the immediate support area. However, a sustained break below 24,400 could accelerate profit booking and drag the index towards the 24,300 support zone,” the analyst added.

Market participants remained cautious amid uncertainty surrounding the RBI’s policy outcome. Investors closely tracked interest-rate expectations and the central bank’s likely commentary on inflation and economic growth.

Among Nifty constituents, Grasim Industries, HDFC Life Insurance Company and Hindustan Unilever emerged as the top laggards, exerting pressure on the benchmark. Realty stocks witnessed significant selling, with the Nifty Realty index falling more than 2 per cent and emerging as the worst-performing sectoral gauge of the day. The Nifty FMCG, Nifty Private Bank and Nifty Bank indices also closed lower.

In the broader market, performance was mixed. The Nifty MidCap index declined 0.29 per cent, while the Nifty SmallCap index bucked the trend and closed 0.23 per cent higher.

The decline suggested that investors preferred to stay on the sidelines after the strong gains of the previous four sessions. Experts said market participants will now look for cues from the central bank’s outlook on interest rates, inflation and liquidity conditions to determine the next direction for equities.