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BENGALURU -India's bluechip Nifty 50 index ended below the 18,000 mark for the first time in nearly two weeks on Thursday as Bajaj Finance's disappointing quarterly update sparked a selloff in the high-flying financials sector.

The Nifty 50 index finished 0.28% lower at 17,992.15, closing under the key 18,000-mark for the first time since Dec. 23. The S&P BSE Sensex fell 0.50% to 60,353.27.

Bajaj Finance tumbled 7.17% after reporting moderate growth in new loans and assets under management for the third quarter.

That dragged the heavyweight financials sector down 1.18%, marking its steepest fall in about two weeks. The index has outpaced the broader markets' growth for much of last year and was among the best-performing of the 13 major sectors.