New Delhi, Dec. 17 -- Indian equity benchmarks extended their decline for a second straight session on Tuesday, driven by persistent selling pressure from foreign institutional investors (FIIs) and weak global market cues.

The Nifty 50 sharply closed lower, breaching the critical psychological and technical level of 26,000, to settle at 25,856.45, down 170.85 points (-0.66%). The Sensex mirrored the weakness, losing 470.45 points (-0.55%) to close at 84,742.91.

Market breadth was overwhelmingly negative, with the advance-decline ratio skewed heavily toward decliners at roughly 1:4 across the broader market, signalling broad-based profit-taking. On the sectoral front, financials, metals, and IT were the major laggards, with Axis Bank plu...