Equities continue to tumble on global cues, metals lose shine

Equity benchmark indices extended their decline for the fourth consecutive session during early hours on Wednesday after massive sell-offs in global markets amid concerns over coronavirus cases spreading beyond China. The BSE S and P Sensex was down by 261 points or 0.65 per cent to 40,020 while the Nifty 50 tumbled by 81 points at 11,717.