Mumbai, Dec. 8 -- The key equity barometers traded with major cuts in early-afternoon trade. The Nifty traded below the 26,000 level. All sectoral indices on the NSE slipped into the red, with Realty, PSU Bank and Media stocks leading the decline.

At 1:30 ST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, dropped 633.68 points or 0.74% to 85,078.69. The Nifty 50 index lost 233.90 points or 0.89% to 25,953.70.

The broader market underperformed the frontline indices. The S&P BSE Mid-Cap index tanked 1.95% and the S&P BSE Small-Cap index fell 2.26%.

The market breadth was weak. On the BSE, 904 shares rose and 3,250 shares fell. A total of 213 shares were unchanged.

The NSE's India VIX, a gauge of the market's expectation of volatility over the...