Stock market today, Aug. 12 -- Indian equities traded lower in morning deals on Wednesday as elevated crude oil prices and caution ahead of key inflation data from India and the US weighed on investor sentiment.

The Nifty 50 fell 0.42% to 24,369.40, while the BSE Sensex declined 0.44% to 77,814.24 as of 10:46 IST. The weakness was broad-based, with 13 of the 16 major sectoral indices trading in the red. The broader market also remained under pressure, with both the Nifty Midcap and Smallcap indices declining around 0.3%.

Crude oil prices hovered around $90 a barrel as hopes of a near-term agreement to ease tensions in the Middle East and reopen the Strait of Hormuz weakened. Higher oil prices remain a concern for India, the world's thir...