Indian equities ended almost flat after four days of gains; Nifty fifty closed barely higher at twenty five thousand eight hundred seventy nine, up zero point zero one percent, Sensex gained twelve points to eighty four thousand four hundred seventy eight, and Bank Nifty rose one hundred twenty seven points to fifty eight thousand three hundred ninety one.

Market sentiment was cautious due to volatility from Bihar election result anticipation, but was buoyed by easing inflation and hopes for an India-U.S. trade deal; rupee closed steady at eighty eight point six two seven eight against the dollar, offering some stability.

Asian Paints surged three point seven seven percent after strong quarterly results, Hindalco gained two point four seven percent on global copper price strength, and ICICI Bank advanced one point nine five percent with healthy financial sector buying.

Weak performers included Eternal, down three point six nine percent, Tata Motors’ commercial vehicles losing two point eight four percent, and Mahindra and Mahindra slipping one point four six percent; Cochin Shipyard dropped sharply after weak earnings, but Ashok Leyland and other midcaps registered solid gains.

Nifty fifty held above key support near twenty five thousand eight hundred to twenty five thousand nine hundred and faces resistance at twenty six thousand, with Bank Nifty's resistance zone at fifty eight thousand four hundred to fifty eight thousand five hundred and support near fifty seven thousand eight hundred.

Sector performance was mixed; metals, consumer durables, and telecom each gained about one percent, while IT shares like Infosys and TCS declined amid profit booking; financials and realty saw selective movement.

Cooling inflation numbers supported the view that RBI could consider rate cuts sooner, and a potential India-U.S. trade deal underpinned investor optimism; Bihar exit polls reduced some political uncertainty, and SEBI’s crackdown on unregistered advisers reinforced market integrity measures.

Precious metals were strong; MCX gold closed at one hundred twenty seven thousand three hundred fifty nine rupees per ten grams, up zero point seventy one percent, and silver at one hundred sixty three thousand two hundred forty eight rupees per ten grams, also up zero point seventy one percent; MCX crude oil rose one point one percent to five thousand two hundred fifty five rupees per barrel.

Geopolitical headlines focused on Ukraine, but India-U.S. trade talks became the main near-term market influencer, while global central bank commentary on interest rates continued to shape risk sentiment.

Technical outlook suggests Nifty fifty may trade between twenty five thousand eight hundred and twenty five thousand nine hundred fifty with resistance near twenty six thousand; Bank Nifty likely to hold above fifty eight thousand, facing resistance at fifty eight thousand five hundred; sector rotation from IT to metals and pharma expected to persist.

Actionable tip: Consider buying dips in metals and consumption-driven stocks like Asian Paints; if Nifty stays above twenty five thousand eight hundred tomorrow, gains toward twenty six thousand are likely; range-bound option plays may benefit from the stable volatility.