Mumbai, Oct. 24 -- The domestic equity benchmarks ended lower on Thursday, snapping a six-day winning streak, as broad-based selling weighed on sentiment. Except for metal and telecom stocks, all major sectors were under pressure.

The session began on a positive note, tracking upbeat global cues, but gains proved short-lived. As the day progressed, profit booking intensified, dragging the Nifty to an intraday low of 25,718.20. The market's early optimism faded sharply in the final hour after the government declined to confirm reports of a potential US-India trade deal, leading to a wave of selling across frontline indices.

The S&P BSE Sensex fell 344.52 points or 0.41% to 84,211.88. The Nifty 50 index lost 96.25 points or 0.37% to 25,79...