Mumbai, Oct. 19 -- The domestic stock markets closed sharply lower on Monday as weakness in private bank stocks, disappointing corporate earnings and rising crude oil prices weighed on investor sentiment.

The Nifty 50 index closed at 22,888.95, declining 257.20 points or 1.11 per cent. The BSE Sensex fell 876.37 points or 1.17 per cent to settle at 73,852.90.

Selling pressure was widespread across sectors, with almost all sectoral indices on the National Stock Exchange closing in the red. The Nifty PSU Bank index was the only major sectoral index to finish in positive territory, rising 2.41 per cent.

Among other sectors, the Nifty IT index declined 1.56 per cent, while the Nifty FMCG index fell 1.40 per cent. The Nifty Auto index lost ...