Mumbai, Aug 14 (PTI) Market benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty ended lower on Friday as elevated oil prices and the prolonged US-Iran impasse weighed on investors’ sentiment.

The 30-share BSE Sensex was down 70.71 points, or 0.09 per cent, to settle at 78,009.25. During the day, it dropped 395.59 points, or 0.50 per cent, to 77,684.37.

The 50-share NSE Nifty dipped 29.85 points, or 0.12 per cent, to end at 24,366.

From the Sensex pack, Asian Paints, InterGlobe Aviation, NTPC, Power Grid, State Bank of India and HCL Tech were among the major laggards.

Bharti Airtel, Adani Ports, ICICI Bank and Titan were among the winners.

Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, went up by 0.17 per cent to USD 87.15 per barrel.

In Asian markets, South Korea’s Kospi, Japan’s Nikkei 225 and Shanghai’s SSE Composite index ended higher, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index settled lower.

Markets in Europe were trading mostly higher.

US markets ended in positive territory on Thursday.

Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) offloaded equities worth Rs 510.69 crore on Thursday, according to exchange data.

On Thursday, fag-end buying helped the Sensex end the session in the positive territory. The 30-share index settled 113.61 points, or 0.15 per cent, higher at 78,079.96. The Nifty was marginally down by 40.10 points, or 0.16 per cent, to end at 24,395.85, registering its third day of decline.