New Delhi, March 13 -- The domestic equity markets midday market stood in the red on Friday, extending the ongoing selling spree amid Brent Crude moving up to trading at USD 102 per barrel and geopolitical tensions in West Asia.

The benchmark indices opened lower in mid-day trade, reflecting cautious investor sentiment. The Nifty 50 index stood at 23,150.50, declining by 488.65 points or (-2.07 per cent), while the BSE Sensex stood at 74,534.30, down by 1500.12 points or (-1.97 per cent), at 1:55 pm.

VK Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist, Geojit Investments Limited, said, "With the heightened uncertainty surrounding the West Asian conflict continuing, globally markets are weak and in unchartered territory. Weakness in the US marke...