Sensex slips to 72,480.29 in third straight down day; Nifty below 22,700

Indian equity benchmarks ended lower on Wednesday after failing to hold early gains in a volatile session, with losses in metal and pharmaceutical stocks weighing on the Nifty.
The Sensex closed 48.78 points, or 0.07%, lower at 72,480.29 after briefly touching the 73,000 mark, while the Nifty fell 95.75 points, or 0.42%, to 22,620.45. It was the third straight session of declines for both indices.
Buying in banking, realty and media stocks — the automobile sector jumped nearly 4% — helped cushion the fall, but elevated oil prices and persistent foreign selling kept investors cautious.

