Mumbai, Feb. 20 -- The domestic equity benchmarks closed slightly lower on Thursday, marking their third consecutive day of losses. Investor sentiment was negatively impacted by growing uncertainty surrounding U.S. tariff policies and their potential to fuel inflation.

Despite the overall market downturn, mid- and small-cap indices showed signs of recovery, offering a bright spot in otherwise subdued trading. The Nifty 50 index settled below the 22,950 level. Metals, PSU banks, and energy stocks saw increased demand, while banking and financial services stocks faced selling pressure. Trading activity was volatile due to the expiry of weekly index options on the NSE.

The S&P BSE Sensex, slipped 203.22 points or 0.27% to 75,735.96. The Ni...