Oct 1 Reuters Indian equities surrendered the early gains on Tuesday, dragged down by a decline in metals after a sevensession rally, while information technology stocks held steady.

The Nifty 50 index fell 0.2 to 25,759 points as of 1125 a.m. IST, while the SP BSE Sensex lost 0.16 to 84,161.8.

Metals shed 1, taking a breather after rising about 10 over the previous seven sessions boosted by top consumer China39;s fresh stimulus.

The 15member gauge was the top percentage loser among the 10 major sectors trading lower.

Top two index heavyweights, Tata Steel and Hindalco Industries shed 1.5 and 0.9, respectively.

There could be some profit taking in metals after the rally as investors seek further clarity on whether China39;s stimulus measures would be enough to prop up its economic growth, said G Chokkalingam, Managing Director of Research at Equinomics Research.

Meanwhile, IT firms added 0.5, led by a 3 rise in Tech Mahindra after brokerage CLSA39;s upgrade.

Positive commentary from the U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on the health of the U.S. economy aided interest in IT companies, three analysts said. Indian IT firms earn a significant share of their revenue from the U.S.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said on Monday that the U.S. central bank was not in a hurry to opt for aggressive rate cuts after new data boosted confidence in ongoing economic growth and consumer spending.

Gold lenders Manappuram Finance and Muthoot Finance slid 2 on growth…