New Delhi, Aug. 14 -- Stocks to buy for the short term: The stock market benchmark Nifty 50 extended losses for the third consecutive session on Thursday amid weak global cues due to persistent uncertainty over a potential US-Iran deal and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

The benchmark index settled below 24,000 (at 24,396), with select metal, banking, and financial heavyweights among the top laggards.

According to Ajit Mishra, SVP of Research at Religare Broking, the 24,350 support level remains crucial, with bulls working to defend it and prevent further deterioration in the near-term structure. At the same time, mixed trends among key index heavyweights are making it difficult to establish a clear directional bias.

"We reitera...