Indian equity markets ended in the red on Monday after a four-day winning streak, with the Sensex falling 452 points and the Nifty slipping below the 24,250 mark. The downturn was primarily driven by profit booking in banking stocks, which had recently seen significant gains.

Major private and public sector banks witnessed sharp declines, pulling key indices lower despite positive trends in global equity markets. Analysts attribute the correction to investors locking in profits after the recent rally, especially in heavyweight sectors like banking and financial services.

While global sentiment toward equities remains relatively strong, domestic markets showed signs of caution ahead of key macroeconomic data and corporate earnings reports. Broader market indices also faced mild pressure, though mid-cap and small-cap segments showed more resilience.

Experts suggest this could be a healthy market correction following a sharp uptrend and recommend selective stock picking over aggressive buying in the near term.