Domestic stock markets ended in losses for the fourth consecutive day as geopolitical tensions dampened investor sentiment. The Sensex fell 125.56 points to settle at 73,123.83 at the close of trading on Friday. The Nifty fell 87.65 points to close at 22,600. Investors were hesitant to take risks due to concerns over international developments.

Selling pressure was higher in midcap and smallcap stocks compared to the major indices in the market. The Nifty Midcap 100 index fell 2.21 percent and the Nifty Smallcap 100 index fell 2.94 percent. Among Nifty stocks, Shriram Finance and JSW Steel were among the top losers. Weakness in metal and financial sector shares also affected the indices.

Sector-wise, there was heavy selling in shares of metal, realty and public sector banks. Nifty Metal, Nifty Realty and Nifty PSU Bank indices were among the sectors that recorded the highest losses. On the other hand, IT shares showed some stability. Nifty IT ended with less losses compared to other sector indices.

Analysts said that the recovery of the index from the intraday low indicates that there is buying support at the 22,400-22,500 levels. However, they believed that closing at 22,600 is still a weak signal. If the Nifty holds the 22,500 level, it is likely to recover to 22,800-22,900, and if it loses that level, there is a risk of falling to 22,300, 22,200. They said that only a stable closing above 22,900 will give a sign that the current fall is stabilizing.

Analysts said that the decisions taken by major central banks to balance inflation trends and growth-price increases in the coming days will affect the direction of the markets. In the current situation, investment opportunities may appear in the respective stocks and sectors based on the clarity on companies' earnings and attractive share values.