<h1>Sensex and Nifty ended nearly flat as gains in banks and autos offset IT losses amid choppy trade.</h1> Benchmark indices finished flat amid sectoral divergence: PSU banks and autos gained while IT stocks declined, causing modest underperformance in midcap and smallcap segments. Market consolidation followed a recent rally, driven by mixed earnings, forthcoming inflation data, and evolving details of a US-India trade agreement. Institutional flows showed net FII purchases with larger domestic institutional buying, and global factors including weak US retail sales, AI-related tech volatility, and rising Brent crude tempered risk appetite.