Stock market today, July 21 -- The Indian stock market ended lower on Tuesday, 21 July, with the benchmarks, the Sensex and the Nifty 50, extending losses for the second consecutive session as escalating tensions in the Middle East and rising crude oil prices continue to weigh on market sentiment.

The Sensex ended 238 points, or 0.31%, lower at 77,470.11, while the Nifty 50 settled at 24,187.70, falling 51 points, or 0.21%. The mid and small-cap segments continued their outperformance on expectations of healthy Q1 earnings. The Nifty Midcap 100 index rose by 0.30%, while the Smallcap 100 index climbed 0.53%.

Tensions between the US and Iran, and the rise in crude oil prices resulting from them, are the main reasons behind the decline in...