Mumbai, Oct. 12 -- The key equity benchmarks traded with moderate losses in morning trade on Monday as investors booked profits at higher levels and adopted a cautious stance ahead of key US inflation data. Despite a recent decline, crude oil prices remained elevated, keeping concerns over inflation and market volatility in focus. The Nifty slipped below the 22,500 mark.

Investors tracked movements in the rupee, crude oil prices and quarterly earnings announcements released over the weekend. Mixed global cues, continued foreign institutional selling and ongoing geopolitical uncertainties also weighed on sentiment, while market participants remained focused on the September-quarter earnings season for further cues on corporate performance...