Mumbai, Jan. 7 -- The domestic equity indices traded with modest cuts in the early afternoon trade as geopolitical tensions and tariff-related concerns tempered optimism over the earnings outlook, keeping the Sensex and Nifty just shy of record highs.

The Nifty traded below 26,150 mark. Auto shares declined after advancing in the past six consecutive trading sessions.

At 12:29 ST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, declined 254.63 points or 0.29% to 84,809.60. The Nifty 50 index fell 77.70 points or 0.30% to 26,101.

In the broader market, the S&P BSE Mid-Cap index added 0.17% and the S&P BSE Small-Cap index shed 0.08%.

The market breadth was negative. On the BSE, 1,928 shares rose and 2,044 shares fell. A total of 184 shares wer...