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Technical indicators point to continued near-term weakness in the market, with Nifty likely to test the 22,670 support zone before attempting a counter-trend rally. Recent pullbacks have failed to sustain, hence a close above the 20-DMA of 23,255 is a must for a sustainable rally toward 24,200, according to technical analysts. Stocks to consider for long positions include Bajaj Finance, Bajaj Finserv, ICICI Bank, M&M, UltraTech Cement, United Breweries, and Divi’s Lab.JATIN GEDIA TECHNICAL RESEARCH ANALYST, MIRAE ASSET SHAREKHANWhere is the Nifty headed? As per the Elliott wave principle, this correction is a wave four correction which typically retraces 38.2% of the previous wave and hence we expect this ongoing correction phase to terminate around the 22,670 – 22,460 zone which coincides with the 38.2% Fibonacci retracement level of the rise from 16,828 to 26,277 and the 20-month moving average. Positive divergence is visible on daily momentum indicators, suggesting exhaustion of selling pressure. The pullbacks are unable to sustain and hence a close above the 20-day moving average (23,255) shall be the minimum requirement for a meaningful and sustainable counter-trend rally towards 24,200 – 24,500. We expect Nifty to test the support zone of 22,670 –22,460, and start a counter-trend rally this week. What should investors do? Investors should utilise this fall to accumulate quality large-cap stocks that have relatively outperformed during this corrective phase. A simple relative strength scan provides a handful of stocks among the large caps namely Bajaj Finance, Bajaj FinServ, ICICI Bank, M&M, UltraTech Cement, and Wipro which can be considered as they have been resilient, suggesting inherent strength. Mid- and micro-cap stocks should be avoided, and counter-trend rallies should be used as an exit opportunity rather than adding or averaging. 118314606SACCHITANAND UTTEKAR VP- TECHNICAL & DERIVATIVES, TRADEBULLS SECURITIESWhere is the Nifty headed? Trend strength indicators remain negative — the daily RSI (relative strength index) is below 50, signaling weak momentum, while the daily average directional index (ADX), after surpassing 25, is rising, warning against support-based buying. Nifty must breach 23,300-23,410 to regain bullish momentum. A key concern is that the weekly ADX is indicating continued downside risk. Expect range-bound movement with a negative bias between 23,400 and 22,400 for the rest of the series. A sell-on-rise strategy remains favourable, with options data showing fi rm resistance at 23,300 (earlier 23,500) and key support at 22,500 and 22,400. Long positions should only be considered if Nifty breaks 23,560; otherwise, weakness may deepen further. What should investors do? Traders are advised to avoid initiating leveraged long positions. Until the index decisively trends above 23,560, a long-short strategy remains prudent. Investors can leverage this volatilitydriven phase to accumulate quality stocks at optimised entry levels, particularly in sectors with strong tailwinds. Close monitoring of earnings outcomes is essential. The top stocks to watch are UltraTech Cement, ICICI Bank, Kotak Bank, United Breweries, and Divi’s LabPRITESH MEHTA EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT – RESEARCH, YES SECURITIESWhere is the Nifty headed? Nifty is just holding onto the midpoint of the current threedigit Gann channel, placed near multiple lows around the 22,800 zone, yet it is lacking the follow-through. However, a potential reversal move could come into play — a break below the 22,800 zone followed by a smart recovery. We don’t expect the price to sustain at lower levels for long. With select bank and fi nancial names showing relative strength, a pullback rally will likely play out up to the 23,200 zone. What should investors do? With broader markets, like midcaps and small-caps 100 indices, showing relative and absolute weakness, sticking with large-cap names would be an ideal approach. Our customised defense index is deteriorating, and the Nifty Realty index has formed a bearish anchor column, suggesting continuation of weakness in both. Meanwhile, the ratio of the Nifty Financial Services vs Nifty is attempting to surpass the Dec peak, a break above would result in a continuation of fi nancials’ outperformance. We expect a rally of 8-10% in Bajaj Finserv and Chola Finance in the medium term.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will face defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the IPL 2025 opening match at Eden Gardens on March 22. The ten-team tournament will begin almost two weeks after the Champions Trophy ends on March 9.The schedule was announced by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) through broadcasters JioHotstar on Sunday, with 13 venues set to host 74 IPL 2025 matches over 65 days.Eden Gardens, the home ground of IPL 2024 title winners KKR, will also be the venue for the grand finale on May 25.Additionally, the venue will also host Qualifier 2 on May 23.The other two play-off matches -- Qualifier 1 on May 20 and the Eliminator on May 21 -- will take place in Hyderabad, the home ground of 2024 runners-up Sunrisers Hyderabad.ALSO READ: IPL 2025 schedule released: RCB vs KKR on March 22; Check all fixtures, dates and venuesThe season will feature a total of 74 matches that will be played across 65 days.There will be 12 double-headers and the matches will be played across 13 cities -- 10 host cities plus Guwahati, Visakhapatnam and Dharamsala.While the afternoon games will begin at 03.30 PM IST, the evening games will begin from 07.30 PM IST.The Royal Challengers also have a new captain in Rajat Patidar, who replaced Faf du Plessis.Here is the full schedule of Royal Challengers Bengaluru for IPL 2025:118304109Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will kick off their IPL 2025 campaign against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on March 22 in Kolkata at 7:30 PM IST. Their next match is against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on March 28 in Chennai. RCB will play their first home game in Bengaluru on April 2 against Gujarat Titans (GT), followed by an away match against Mumbai Indians (MI) on April 7. They return to Bengaluru on April 10 to face Delhi Capitals (DC) before heading to Jaipur on April 13 to take on Rajasthan Royals (RR) in an afternoon match at 3:30 PM.RCB will then play Punjab Kings (PBKS) twice within three days, first at home on April 18 and then away in Chandigarh on April 20. They continue their home run against Rajasthan Royals on April 24 before traveling to Delhi on April 27 for another clash with DC. On May 3, they will host CSK in Bengaluru, followed by an away match against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on May 9. RCB’s last two league matches are at home, facing Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on May 13 and concluding their group stage with a rematch against KKR on May 17 in Bengaluru.This schedule sees RCB playing a mix of home and away matches, ensuring thrilling encounters against all major teams.

The combined market valuation of eight of the 10 most valued domestic firms eroded by Rs 2 lakh crore last week, with Reliance Industries taking the biggest hit in line with a bearish trend in the broader stock market. Equity benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty extended their downward trend to the eighth day in a row on Friday. In the past eight trading days, the BSE benchmark has tumbled 2,644.6 points or 3.36 per cent, and the Nifty slumped 810 points or 3.41 per cent. While Reliance Industries, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), HDFC Bank, Infosys, State Bank of India, Hindustan Unilever, Bajaj Finance and ITC faced a combined erosion of Rs 2,03,952.65 crore in their valuation, Bharti Airtel and ICICI Bank emerged as the gainers. The market capitalisation (mcap) of Reliance Industries tanked Rs 67,526.54 crore to Rs 16,46,822.12 crore. The valuation of TCS tumbled Rs 34,950.72 crore to Rs 14,22,903.37 crore. HDFC Bank's mcap eroded by Rs 28,382.23 crore to Rs 12,96,708.35 crore and that of ITC plunged Rs 25,429.75 crore to Rs 5,13,699.85 crore. The mcap of Infosys dropped Rs 19,287.32 crore to Rs 7,70,786.76 crore and that of State Bank of India declined Rs 13,431.55 crore to Rs 6,44,357.57 crore. The market valuation of Hindustan Unilever diminished by Rs 10,714.14 crore to Rs 5,44,647 crore and that of Bajaj Finance dipped Rs 4,230.4 crore to Rs 5,20,082.42 crore. However, the mcap of Bharti Airtel jumped Rs 22,426.2 crore to Rs 9,78,631.54 crore and that of ICICI Bank climbed Rs 1,182.57 crore to Rs 8,88,815.13 crore. In the top-10 chart, Reliance Industries retained the title of the most valued firm followed by TCS, HDFC Bank, Bharti Airtel, ICICI Bank, Infosys, State Bank of India, Hindustan Unilever, Bajaj Finance and ITC.

The exodus of FPIs from the Indian equity markets continues as they pulled out Rs 21,272 crore in the first two weeks of this month, driven by global tensions after the US imposed tariffs on imports. This came following a net outflow of Rs 78,027 crore in January. With these, the total outflow by FPIs has reached Rs 99,299 crore -- near Rs 1 lakh crore -- in 2025 so far, data with the depositories showed. Going forward, V K Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist, Geojit Financial Services, believes that reversal of FPI strategy will happen when the dollar index moves down. According to the data, Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) offloaded shares worth Rs 21,272 crore from Indian equities so far this month (till February 14). Market concerns heightened as US President Donald Trump imposed new tariffs on steel and aluminum imports and announced plans for reciprocal tariffs on several countries, Himanshu Srivastava, Associate Director-Manager Research, Morningstar Investment Research India, said. These developments reignited fears of a potential global trade war, prompting FPIs to re-evaluate their exposure to emerging markets, including India, he added. Also, Vipul Bhowar, Senior Director - Listed Investments, Waterfield Advisors, said, "shifts in global policies, especially those emerging from the US, are invoking a sense of uncertainty among FPIs, which in turn is reshaping their investment strategies in dynamic markets like India". On the domestic front, lackluster corporate earnings and persistent depreciation of the Indian rupee, which breached multi-year lows, further diminished the appeal of Indian assets, Srivastava said. On the other hand, FPIs were buyers in the debt market during the period. They put in Rs 1,296 crore into debt general limit and Rs 206 crore in debt voluntary retention route. The overall trend indicates a cautious approach by foreign investors, who scaled back investments in Indian equities significantly in 2024, with net inflows of just Rs 427 crore. This contrasts sharply with the extraordinary Rs 1.71 lakh crore net inflows in 2023, driven by optimism over India's strong economic fundamentals. In comparison, 2022 saw a net outflow of Rs 1.21 lakh crore amid aggressive rate hikes by global central banks.