Mumbai, Oct. 1 -- The key equity benchmarks continued to trade with modest losses in mid-morning trade, weighed down by continued selling by foreign institutional investors (FIIs). Investor sentiment remained cautious amid volatility in crude oil prices and ongoing uncertainty surrounding the US-Iran conflict. Market participants also tracked monthly auto sales data for further cues. The Nifty traded below the 22,550 mark.

Metal shares declined for second consecutive trading sessions.

At 11:25 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex declined 173.12 points or 0.24% to 72,325.38. The Nifty 50 index fell 87.80 points or 0.39% to 22,530.05.

In the broader market, the BSE 150 MidCap Index shed 0.43% and the BSE 250 SmallCap Index dropp...