New Delhi, March 12 -- Domestic equity benchmarks traded lower in early deals on Thursday, with the BSE Sensex declining more than 620 points and the Nifty 50 slipping close to one per cent, reflecting cautious sentiment among investors.

The 30-share Sensex was trading at 76,239.01, down 624.70 points or 0.81 per cent around 10:29 am, compared to its previous close of 76,863.71.

The index opened at 76,369.65 and touched an intraday low of 75,871.18, indicating selling pressure during the morning session.

Similarly, the broader Nifty 50 was quoted at 23,662.05, falling 204.80 points or 0.86 per cent from its previous close of 23,866.85.

The benchmark opened at 23,674.85, hit a high of 23,696.75, and slipped to an intraday low of 23,556.3...