Mumbai, May 19 -- The domestic equity benchmarks ended slightly lower on Tuesday as a sharp fall in the rupee and cautious global sentiment wiped out early gains on Dalal Street. The rupee weakened to a fresh record low of 96.60 against the US dollar, prompting investors to book profits.

The S&P BSE Sensex declined 114.19 points or 0.15% to close at 75,200.85, while the Nifty 50 fell 31.95 points or 0.14% to settle at 23,618, slipping below the 23,650 mark.

The benchmarks opened on a positive note but lost steam as mixed global cues and rising US bond yields weighed on sentiment. Concerns over possible foreign fund outflows also resurfaced as higher US yields reduced the appeal of emerging markets like India.

Sectorally, IT stocks witn...