Mumbai, April 25 -- The key equity benchmarks ended with significant losses today, declining for the second day in a row, as investor sentiment remained cautious amid rising geopolitical tensions following a deadly terrorist attack on tourists in Kashmir. The incident cast a shadow over the markets, with escalating tensions between India and Pakistan triggering a risk-off mood.

Meanwhile, the ongoing earnings season has done little to lift the mood, with a slew of companies missing estimates and reporting weaker-than-expected numbers, adding another layer of caution to an already jittery market.

The Nifty closed below the 24,050 mark. Barring Nifty IT index all the sectoral indices on the NSE were traded in red with media, realty and PS...