New Delhi, Feb. 19 -- Indian equities retreated sharply from their recent gains, with key averages falling over 1% in Wednesday's trade on February 19, as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East intensified. Meanwhile, uncertainty around the path of US interest rates also appeared to have triggered profit booking, resulting in sharp losses across segments.

Adding to concerns, the strength in crude oil prices also impacted market sentiment, with the Nifty 50 dropping 1.4% to the 25,416 level, while the Sensex slipped even further, falling 1.72% to 82,296.

The broader markets, too, closed with deeper cuts, with the Nifty Midcap 100 index dropping 1.8% and the Nifty Smallcap 100 index shedding 1.5%. The sell-off did not leave a single key...