Mumbai, April 7 -- The key equity barometers traded with modest losses in the early afternoon trade, weighed down by a mix of global and domestic headwinds. Investor sentiment weakened after fresh geopolitical tensions emerged following U.S. President Donald Trump's renewed threats toward Iran, which pushed oil prices higher and heightened market anxiety.

Markets are volatile due to the weekly expiry of Nifty 50 contracts, the first in the April series. Amid this uncertainty, the Nifty slipped below the 22,950 mark. Private bank shares advanced after falling in the past three trading sessions.

At 12:30 ST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, fell 198.73 points or 0.27% to 73,908.12. The Nifty 50 index slipped 39.40 points or 0.17% ...