Market Highlights: Sensex ends 331 points lower; Nifty slips below 25,950; !BEL tumbles 3%, M&M drops 2%

Indian markets closed lower as realty and chemical stocks dragged, despite a strong start on Monday. IT and banking shares lent some support, but most sectors ended in the red. Benchmarks reversed early gains, with the Sensex dropping 339 points (0.39%) and the Nifty falling 0.4% to finish below 26,000. Analysts noted repeated pullbacks from the 26,200 resistance zone. Only

, , , , and a advanced, while !BEL led losers with a 3% slide, followed by M&M and Tata Steel. Sector-wise, Nifty IT rose 0.41%, driven by Tech Mahindra, Wipro, and Persistent Systems, as hopes of a December US Fed rate cut strengthened after NY Fed President John Williams hinted at possible near-term easing.