New Delhi, Aug. 21 -- Indian markets ended on a firm note, extending their winning streak for the fifth straight session, despite a weak start amid subdued global cues. The Nifty 50 and Sensex displayed notable resilience, recovering from early losses to close at 25,050.55 and 81,857.84, respectively, supported by sustained buying in select sectors.

Investor sentiment remained cautious ahead of the U.S. Federal Reserve's Jackson Hole symposium later this week. On the sector front, IT stocks led the gains, rising 1%, driven by hopes of a potential 25bps rate cut by the Fed, which could boost U.S. tech spending and benefit Indian exporters. On the other hand, financials lagged, declining around 0.5%. Broader markets remained firm, with the...