New Delhi, Aug. 11 -- Nifty50 closed sharply lower on Friday, declining 232.85 points (0.95%) to settle at 24,363.30, tracking broad-based selling across sectors. BSE Sensex mirrored the weakness, shedding 765.47 points to close at 79,857.79.

Sectorally, all indices ended in the red, with metals, realty, pharma, auto, private banks, and consumer durables losing 1-2%, signalling pervasive bearish sentiment. Broader markets underperformed, with the BSE Midcap and Smallcap indices falling 1.5% and 1%, respectively.

Technically, Nifty's failure to hold above its 100-DMA and breach of the 24,400 support underscores prevailing downward momentum. The formation of a lower-top, lower-bottom structure further confirms bearish dominance. For the w...