Mumbai, Jan. 8 -- Bears clawed deeper into Dalal Street as equity benchmarks slid for a fourth straight session on Thursday, with relentless selling dragging the Nifty below the 25,900 level. Indices reeled under a barrage of headwinds, led by sustained foreign fund outflows and rising global uncertainty.

Selling pressure intensified across sectors as investors grew jittery over the prospect of fresh U.S. tariffs and escalating geopolitical tensions. All sectoral indices on the NSE ended in the red, with metals, PSU banks and energy stocks leading the decline. Sentiment weakened further amid political turmoil in Venezuela and a subdued global market backdrop.

Heavyweight stocks bore the brunt of the sell-off, pulling benchmarks lower an...