Mumbai, Feb. 26 -- Domestic equity indices ended sideways on Thursday after a volatile trading session. The benchmarks opened with strong gains in early morning trade, supported by buying interest in IT and pharma stocks. However, as the day progressed, momentum weakened and profit-booking emerged. In the mid-afternoon session, the Nifty slipped into negative territory amid heightened volatility triggered by the monthly Sensex F&O expiry. Although the index staged a mild recovery in the final hour of trade, it ultimately settled on a flat note, reflecting cautious investor sentiment.

Nifty ended near the 25,500 level. Pharma, PSU bank and oil & gas shares advanced, while media, FMCG and financial services stocks declined.

As per provisi...