Mumbai, Nov 21 : Indian stock markets ended lower on Friday as weak global cues weighed on investor sentiment.

Selling pressure was visible across most sectors, and overall market breadth was tilted towards the bears.

The Sensex fell 400.76 points, or 0.47 per cent, to close at 85,231.92. The Nifty also declined 124 points, or 0.47 per cent, finishing the day at 26,068.15.

"The key demand zone remains between 26,000 and 25,900, which continues to provide solid support," experts said.

"A decisive close above 26,200 remains the crucial trigger for the next leg of the uptrend, potentially unlocking targets of 26,277 and 26,300," they added.

Among the major gainers on the BSE were Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motorsâ?? passenger vehicle division, Mahindra & Mahindra and Asian Paints.

On the other hand, Tata Steel, HCLTech, Bajaj Finance, Bajaj Finserv and Eternal were among the top losers.

Sector-wise, metal stocks saw the sharpest fall, with the Nifty Metal index slipping 2.34 per cent.

Nifty PSU Bank dropped 1.43 per cent, while Nifty Realty declined 1.86 per cent.

In contrast, Nifty FMCG was the only sector to end in positive territory, edging up 0.14 per cent.

The selling pressure was also visible in the broader market. The Nifty Midcap 100 index closed 1.13 per cent lower, while the Nifty Smallcap 100 index fell 1.22 per cent.

"Indian markets turned volatile and settled lower, reflecting the broader decline seen across Asian equities after better-than-expected US non-farm payroll data dampened the expectation of a December rate cut," market watchers said.

"Market sentiment was further undermined by a soft manufacturing PMI reading, a weakening INR, and growing worries over potential delays in Indiaâ??US trade discussions," they added.

As per the analysts, profit-booking after a brief two-day uptrend added to the cautious tone, pulling all key indices into the red, with mid- and small-caps facing sharper corrections.

/IANS