Mumbai, March 26 -- The key benchmark indices traded with moderate losses in mid-afternoon trade as the markets experienced volatility. The Nifty traded below the 23,600 level after hitting the day's high of 23,736.50 in early trade. Shares of private banks declined after experiencing buying demand for seven consecutive trading sessions.

At 14:25 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex dropped 543.70 points or 0.70% to 77,475.22. The Nifty 50 index lost 130.25 points or 0.55% to 23,538.40.

In the broader market, the S&P BSE Mid-Cap index shed 0.35% and the S&P BSE Small-Cap index declined 1.15%.

The market breadth was weak. On the BSE, 1,040 shares rose and 2,929 shares fell. A total of 128 shares were unchanged.

Buzzing Index: ...