Mumbai, July 17 -- Equity benchmarks ended slightly lower on Thursday as investors navigated mixed global cues and a choppy trading session marked by the weekly F&O expiry. After opening flat, the Nifty gradually lost ground, and a mid-session recovery attempt fizzled out, eventually closing below the 25,120 mark.

The broader sectoral picture was mixed. Realty, metal, and consumer durables stocks saw buying interest, while IT and banking shares dragged the indices down.

Investor mood remained cautious, clouded by global uncertainty, a sluggish start to the earnings season, and lack of clarity on the India-US tariff resolution, which continues to hang in the balance.

The S&P BSE Sensex declined 375.24 points or 0.45% to 82,259.24. The N...