Mumbai, June 29 -- The benchmark equity indices traded with moderate losses in early trade as investor sentiment turned cautious following the escalation of tensions between Iran and the US over the weekend. The Nifty slipped below the 24,050 mark. IT, media, and oil & gas stocks witnessed selling pressure, while healthcare, pharma, and metal shares traded in positive territory.

At 09:32 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, fell 161.81 points or 0.21% to 76,938.66. The Nifty 50 index shed 13.40 points or 0.06% to 24,041.50.

In the broader market, the BSE 150 MidCap Index slipped 0.24% and the BSE 250 SmallCap Index dropped 0.47%.

The market breadth was positive. On the BSE, 1,386 shares rose and 2,010 shares fell. A total of 2...