Sensex down 278 points; Nifty ends below 26,000

Market Performance - The benchmark Sensex dropped by nearly 278 points, ending a six-day winning streak, while the Nifty closed below the 26,000-mark due to profit-taking in IT, metal, and capital goods shares amid weak global market trends [1][3] - The 30-share BSE Sensex declined by 277.93 points or 0.33% to settle at 84,673.02, with an intraday low of 84,558.36, a drop of 392.59 points or 0.46% [3] - The 50-share NSE Nifty dipped 103.40 points or 0.40% to close at 25,910.05 [3] Sector Performance - Major laggards among Sensex firms included Tech Mahindra, Infosys, Bajaj Finance, Bajaj Finserv, Eternal, Adani Ports, Hindustan Unilever, and Bharat Electronics [4] - Gainers included Bharti Airtel, Axis Bank, Asian Paints, and Titan [4] Investor Sentiment - The domestic equity market declined as investors booked profits following a recent rebound, reflecting weak global sentiment and diminished expectations of a US Fed rate cut in December [5] - The stronger dollar contributed to declines in IT, metal, and realty stocks [5] Global Market Trends - Asian markets, including South Korea's Kospi, Japan's Nikkei 225, Shanghai's SSE Composite, and Hong Kong's Hang Seng, settled sharply lower [5] - European markets were also trading in the red, and US markets ended in negative territory [6] Institutional Investments - Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) purchased equities worth Rs 442.17 crore, while Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) bought stocks worth Rs 1,465.86 crore in the previous trade [7] Commodity Prices - Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, decreased by 0.40% to $63.94 per barrel [7]