Mumbai, Aug. 12 -- Domestic equity benchmarks ended a choppy session in the red on Tuesday, with the Nifty slipping below the 24,500 mark as weakness in banking and financial counters weighed on sentiment. In contrast, pharmaceutical and healthcare shares managed to eke out gains, providing some cushion to the broader market. The subdued close reflected cautious investor mood amid mixed global cues and lingering uncertainty. Traders stayed on edge ahead of the release of July's domestic inflation data and a crucial US inflation report, both seen as likely drivers of near-term interest rate expectations.

The S&P BSE Sensex dropped 368.49 points or 0.46% to 80,235.59. The Nifty 50 index declined 97.65 points or 0.40% to 24,487.40.

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