Mumbai, April 16 -- The headline equity indices erased early gains to end marginally lower in a volatile session on Thursday. Tracking positive global cues, the markets opened higher on optimism around a potential US-Iran peace deal and held gains in the first half. However, selling pressure in the latter half wiped out intraday advances, pulling the Nifty 50 below the 24,200 mark. Private banks and auto stocks led the decline, while metal and IT shares provided some support. Volatility remained elevated due to the weekly expiry of Sensex derivatives and the ongoing Q4 earnings season, with investors closely monitoring signs of de-escalation between the United States and Iran.

The S&P BSE Sensex declined 122.56 points or 0.16% to 77,988....