Mumbai, Feb. 20 -- Indian equities head into the next trading week in a mixed and volatile mood, with recent sessions marked by sharp intra-week swings. Sectoral divergence continued to widen. Banking and capital goods stocks provided support, while IT names remained under pressure, highlighting ongoing rotation within the market.

While India's industrial momentum remains healthy, with IIP growing 7.8% in December, the global "risk-off" sentiment is currently the primary driver. Further, the latest U.S. Fed minutes revealed a hawkish tilt despite inflation cooling to 2.4% in January. Conversely, China's industrial output grew 5.3% in December, offering a sliver of macroeconomic stability.

Given elevated volatility and mixed global cues,...